Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 115: what you’re looking at

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

THE BALLET-GIRL’S REVENGE. Mermet called the attendant, who, in obedience to some instructions in their native tongue, brought in a fanciful-looking cage containing a canary. Mermet opened the door and whistled to the bird, which chirped with delight at the freedom it antici- pated it was to enjoy. Then it hopped out and perched upon the Arab’s shoulder. -Mermet fondled the canary awhile, and then gave it some sugar, which it pecked from his lips. , “You will pardon an old man’s weakness, lady,”’ said the necromancer. “I love my bird, and am sorry to sacrifice it.’ The lady looked horrified. ** How sacrifice it?’ “ To science,” replied the Arab, ‘‘ But you shall see, as I promised.” He removed the stopper of the bottle, and held it in his left hand, whilst the right was projected for the bird to perch upon. The canary seemed perfectly accustomed to this exercise, and he hopped upon his master’s finger most cheerfully. «Smell, smell, Dick,’’ said the Arab. The bird stretched forth his golden neck towards the phial. Then as its beak encountered the neck of the bottle, it fell trom the finger of its master. ‘* Dead!” ejaculated the lady, in horror-stricken accents. ‘‘ Dead!” « Ay? “Oh, but you might have proved it without killing the bird.” . ** It would have been difficult.” | ** Any proof would have sufficed for me, said the lady. ** Indeed ?”’ “* Anything.” | “Pardon me, I thought you were rather a_sceptic at first.” “‘No, I come hither only after hearing your great reputation—”’ “* As a compounder of poisons ?”’ ras No.,”’ “T’m glad of that,’’ said the Arab drily. “Such a reputation is not the most enviable one to have learnt, believe me.” “Can I have that bottle ?”’ asked the lady, prepar- ing to depart. “cc Yes.’’ “« And the price ?”’ The Arab smiled. “Oh, I can fix no price on such a treasure as that, my lady.” ‘* How so?’’ “Tt is priceless as a work of art.” “Then fear not to name an adequate sum,” said the lady. ~ “ Nay, you cannot buy my genius as you buy a dealer’s wares. I give you the produce of my skill and years of labour. If you would show me some mark of your kindness, pray exert your liberality upon my servant. He is a worthy fellow, and does me good service.”’ ‘This is very strange,” said the lady. ‘€ Not at all,’’ said Mermet. ‘‘ Let me see you again if your object is not achieved by this philtre. I can assist you, doubtless.”’ The lady was amazed. She offered the greatest and most profuse acknowledgments of the Arab’s good- ness, but he would not hear of thanks. Ahmet was called. ‘‘ Show the lady out,’’ he said in English. Then he added a few words in Arabic, which caused the lady to eye them both sharply. However, as the Arab was pointing to the dead | canary, she imagined that the ill-starred little warbler was the subject of their conversation. _ She was shown to the door, and hurried off, look- ing rather anxiously about, as if fearful of having been observed. Had she suspected that a watch had been set upon her movements she would not have felt quite so easy in her mind. The secret of the poison is in danger. Beware, then, of Mermet the Arab ! As soon as the veiled lady had taken her departure Mermet began to chuckle with vicious clee. ‘“ So, so,” he muttered, “ pvisoning thrives mightily. I dreamed that the days of the Borgias and of Brin- villiers had depatted, but I find that they only want the opportunity to push them forward into our own age. And a thriving trade I shall drive with it. This woman, whoever she is—and I rely upon Ahmet, the knave ! to discover her real name and position—will be a fortune alone, well managed. I am convinced that she is worth the trouble. Well, well, we shall see. How easy it is to gaina name inthe world! Ah! who’s this? Another visitor, doubtless. Tt is, anda woman too.”’ A second veiled lady was here ushered into Mermet’s presence. The necromancer surveyed her from head to foot with a piercing glance. Beneath her veil might be traced some faint out- lines of her face. It was beautifully formed, pale to ghastliness, and expressionless. *“There’s been some grief there,’’ mentally muttered the Arab. The girl was evidentally very much embarrassed to open the interview. Mermet, seeing this, hastened to her assistance at once. ** Be seated, lady;” said he. ‘‘ Take time to compose yourself, I pray you.”’ The words of the necromancer appeared to restore her at once. | It would seem that she only then became aware of her abstraction being so visible to everybody. *‘ What do you wish for?” asked the necromancer after a while. , **T want poison,” returned the young girl, almost inaudibly. *“ Poison?” iterated the Arab. “Yes. Something which will send one on a quick journey to thenext world with as little pain as pos- sible.”’ “You must first tell me to what use you would put so fatal a compound.”’ ** T cannot.” ‘Then J cannot supply yon.’’ “*T must seek elsewhere.” “Stay. At least tell me in what quantity you want this poison.”’ “Tt is to kill.” “VWhonr?” ‘¢ That cannot be known to you.”’ ‘* It can and shall,’ thought Mermet. But he spoke differently aloud. “No, I merely wish to know the age of the person to whom it is to be administered.” ‘‘ Nineteen,”’ faltered the girl. ‘Male or female ?” ‘¢ The Jatter.’? ** Good.” “You will give it to me?” demanded, the. girl eagerly. ol will “Oh! a thousand thousand thanks.” Mermet surveyed the pallid face beneath the veil, and mused thus—