Angelina: Or, The Mystery of St. Mark's Abbey — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

26 ANGELINA; OR, completely breathless and exhausted. He questioned her as to the cause, but she returned an evasive, and unsatisfactory anawer, and complaining of head- ache, requested to be allowed to retire to rest. ‘*T suppose, coz,’’ said the giddy and thonghtless Laura, in her usual viva- cious tones, ‘if the truth was known, yeu have been paying another visit to those haunted ruins, and have been frightened in spite of all your pretended courage ; mark my words, Angelina, if you do persist in disturbing the hob- goblins in their retreat, some of them will run away with you one of these days, and we shall never eee you again.” Angelina in vain, by significant glances at her loquacious cousin, endea- voured to stop her tongue, but Laura either would not, or did not observe her, and went on till she had divulged the whole secret of their visit to St Mark’s Abbey. : ‘© Angelina,” said her uncle, seriously, * you did very wrong to wander to that gloomy fabric, wherein the most depraved wretches are reported to hold their haunts, and I trust you will not repeat your visits for fear that any barm should befal you.” ‘‘ Inneed, my dear uncle,” replied Angelina, who had now recovered herself, °° J think your apprehensions are uofounded, for I have been all over the rains and saw no signs of the Jawless men to whom you allude,” “ Well, but you know, Angelina,” said her cousin, ** that we have had con- ‘ vincing proof that ifthe abbey isnot inhabited by mortal devils, it is the-haunt of supernatural ones. Dear me !—I shall never forget what we saw there the other day, as long as I have to live.” ‘¢ What do you mean, Laura ?” demanded ber father, whose curiosity was excited by her words, “ what is the awful adventure to which you allude ?”” ‘Oh, it is nothing worth mentioning, uncle,” said Angelina hastily, “but my silly cousin, who is so very superstitious, is apt to attach importance to the most trifling events.” * Oh, indeed,’ said Laura, but the event to which I allude was no trifle, though, and you was frightened enongh at first as well as me, though you did - brave it out so heroically afterwards.” ‘* Well, let me hear it,’ said Mr. Woodfield, “ and then I shall be better able to judge which of you is in the right.”’ ‘$Oh, no, my dear uncle,” exclaimed Angelina, with much confusion, “ it is not worth listening to ; it is a foolish story, and———”’ ‘Well, then, as foolish aa it is, 1 shall relate. it, and then hear my father’s opinion upon the matter,” said the pertinacious Laura: ‘‘I maintaio that it will go far to prove that the spirits of the departed are allowed to revisit this earth. Well, father, you must know, that about a month ago, me and Ange- lina paid a visit to the ruins of St. Mark’s Abbey, I confesa that she had no little trouble to persuade me to accompany her, for the many strange accounts I had heard of it, did not prepossess me much in its favour 3; however, she was so coaxing and wheedling, that at last she did prevail, and I went with her. Well, we remained there some time, and looked about us, without anything particular occurring, but I wasin a terrible state of uneasiness, expecting every moment te see the grim spirit of some old monk dart forth from behind the ruins. Angelina was so wrapt up in the contemplation of everything around her (though, for my part, I cannot see anything to admire in broken COMIC OOOlKS.€O