Angelina: Or, The Mystery of St. Mark's Abbey — page 95: what you’re looking at

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

82 ANGELINA; OR, @ CHAPTER XIX. For a few seconds after Bridget had quitted the room, Angelina was so overcome by the mystery of her words and manners, that she was quite incapable of moving; but to the danger of her situation she was too sensibly alive. But how was she to escape from it? Who was there to assist her? “True, she had seen the handsome stranger who had two or three times be- fore been her preserver, but had he the power, if evenhe had the will, te rescue her? He might, to be sure, by letting her friends know of her situation, enable them to demand in a court of justice, ber delivery to them, and bring him to punishment for the outrage he had committed ; but alas! long before that could be accomplished, her doom might be sealed. She thought upon the alarm, the trepidation evinced by Bridget, and then the words she had made use of at parting, recurred to her s——t Kramine the portrait,’ and she became atili more lost in bewildermont. In situations of danger, however, the most trifling circumstance which creates hope, is seized upon with avidity, and Angelina experienced these feelings, and was about to do as Bridget had de- sired ber, and had walked towards the portrait, when her footsteps were suddenly arrested by hearing the sound of the rumbling of carriage wheels in the court yard. She therefore hastened to the casement, and beheld the Baron De Morton alight, followed by his faithfal myrmidon, the villain Rufus, and immediately hurried into the tower. A cold sweat came over our heroine when she again saw the baron, and recalled to her memory what had taken place on their last interview, and the threats he had then held out. She stood for awhile immoveable ; then finding that all remained quiet in the tower, she became more composed, and as every moment, she imagined, might be pre- cious, she hastened towards the portrait. She paused as she stood before it, and could not, ip spite of the state of distraction her mind was in, help admiring the beauty of the painting. So great had been the talent that the artist had displayed upon it, that it almost appeared to be imbued with life, and the eyes, in particular, seemed to beam upon the maiden an expression of encouragement. Hope again suddenly took possession of her bosom, and she proceeded in her scarch with greater spirit than could have been expected. She scrutinised the painting minutely, examined every part of it, the can- vass, the frame, but still she saw nothing to gratify her curiosity, and she was about to give .it up in despair, when suddenly her hand fell upon some cold and hard substance in the side of the frame, and upon looking more closely into it, she perceived what appeared to be a small brass spring. She pressed with all her might upon it, and in an instant the painting, frame and all, glided back without the slightest noise, and Angelina waz completely thun- derstruck when a spacious apartment met her view Filled with astonishment, Angelina stepped into the apartment and gazed around her. It was very handsomely furnished, and seemed to have been but recently occupied. The wainscot was of oak, pannelled, and richly carved, and several portraits and views executed in the most skilful style, were bung ECOMmicoOokKs @ (CO)