Angelina: Or, The Mystery of St. Mark's Abbey — page 237: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

294 a - ANGELINA 3 OR, after remaining there upwards of two years with but indifferent succes, during which time he had made every inquiry after his sister and her villanoas com- panion (as he suspected) to so purpose, he resolved, having married his prokent wife, to return to England, he, being so altered in personal appearance and in ciscumstances, that he thought it would be impossible for any one to recognise him. .He did so and settled in a remote part of the country, where hy frugal habits and industry, (fer he had learnt to forget his rank, and had found even a source of pleasure and amusement in turning his hand to labeur), he ‘managed to live comfortably. In the interim his property had been confiscated, and ® price was set upon his head, either dead or alive. Another year elapsed, and Laura was born, ‘when one night soon after they had retired to rest, they were awakened by the cries of a child, and Mr. Woodfield, (as he then called himself) having hastily arisen, and slipped on a portion of his clothes, hastened to his cottage door, and was completely. thunderstruck to behold, huddled up in one corner of the threshhold, a child, apparently little more than ‘two years and a half hold, but the beauty of whose countenance surpassed everything he had beheld before. ‘He took her hastily into the cottage, and ealling to his wife, they trimmed the fire. which had not yet expired, and proceeded to examine the little stranger. | She cold only lisp out a few words, and from them they could not gather anything wich could throw any light upon the subject, or give them the slightest idea as to who sbe was. The only words that they could distinctly make'out were, that: *¢ Strange woman, not mamma, had left her ; that mamme would so cry if she did not go back,”’ and many other expressions of a similar description, which they were at a perfect loss to understand, although they were strongly of- opinion, that the child had been abandoned by its unnatural mother, and Sir Eustace could not help being particularly struck with the sweetness ef its features, which bore a forcible resemblance to a countenance he had often seen before, but could not at the time recal to his memory where. Having placed the poor little thing, who was handsomely: drest, under the care of his wife, Sir Eustace sallied forth from the cottage, thinking he might see some person who might answer the faint description of the female the child: had given, but in this he was totally disappointed, as may be expected, and on his return, he found the child fast asieep on the Jap of his wife, and she placed in his hands a scrap of paper which she had pinned ia her bosom, and which contained the following lines :— ‘“‘ A much wronged and heavily afflicted woman, whe was once acknow- ledged the sister of Sir Eustace Arlingham, submits te his care and affection her: child, trusting that however prejudiced he may be against the unfortunate, Sut: not guilty Emmeline, he will not despise or cast away the little innocent, whom it is no longer in her power to support! The eyés of her mother will constantly watch over her, until those eyes are closed in death, and when the clouds that at present obscure her happiness shall have dispersed, that mother with trane- port will reclaim her offspring, and hopes te be received.once more with affec- tion by that brother who now entertains so unjust an opinion of her conduct. In the bosom of the child, whom I wish to be called Angelina, you will fiad a purse of gold: I wish you to appropriate a pertion of it to the éducation of the child, and as you comply with these wishes, may the blessings of Heaven de- scend upen yourhead, -.. ... 6 Eunriins.” a rd ecommicoookKks 1(GO)