Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 120: what you’re looking at

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

114 ROSE MORTIMER ; OR, Le rence in this moonlight trip of the necromancer’s upon which we shall touch shortly. Avoiding the house, for fear that he might be ob- served, although there was no sign of any living soul being within it, Mermet kept to the extreme right of the gravel walk. His low stature allowed him to creep along beneath the trees and dwarf shrubs without throwing any tell- tale shadow. He skulked down past the back of the house. Here he found himself in a long garden overlooking the river. He turned to look round at the house. The back, like the front, was in darkness. “‘ T wonder if she is in the house at present,’’ mut- tered Mermet. ‘‘I must and will see her. That must be ascertained, or else my journey will have been without effect.’’ He turned from the house and walked towards the water, ‘‘The river runs here,’? said Mermet, half sur- prised. ‘Why, then, could the silly girl haye paid me a visit with such a resource as this close at hand? Ah! What’s that ??? This exclamation wag caused by hearing a loud sigh close at hand. Mermet started and looked around him affrightedly. He did not dare to stir. “Ah! She’s there!” Close by the river’s bank steed a girl leaning upon a spade stuck into the earth. ‘* What can she be doing here, I wonder,” thought Mermet. ‘‘ I must seoe,’’ He drew closer. With wary stealthy strides he approached the un- suspecting girl. And now he could watch her movements closely and unobserved, His deformed figure was still shielded from view by some overhanging branehes of shrubs and trees. Presently the girl moyed, She raised her hand from the handle of the spade to press her forehead wearily, and to rub her eyes as if they were fevered with weeping. Another sigh burst from her. ~ Then she fell to her task again in silence, The earth was damp at this part of the ground, and it was no slight labour to the unhappy girl to dig it. e © Yet she persevered. Mermet stood in his hiding-place, silently and eagerly watching. : Still the work went on. The girl had occasionally to pause to wipe the per- spiration from her forehead. Then she would return to it with renewed zest. At length a hole some three feet deep, and a mound of earth beside it, was the result of her patient toil. Then she turned towards the long dank grass growing upon the water’s edge where it was. marshy. Mermet stretched forward, but could see nothing whatever there. The girl, however, took a bundle from the grass, where it had lain concealed. Took it tenderly in her arms, Looked upon it in such sadness—such distress and woe—that the flintiest-hearted beholder could not fail to be touched by the action. Then she removed a cloth, which fell oyer her arm, disclosing the form of a young babe, Still and peaceful. Motionless for ever. Cold and stiff. “Ah! she speaks now,’’ said Mermet to himself. **T wish I could catch her words.” He leant eagerly forward. ‘* Farewell, farewell, my pretty one,’’ said the girl, in a low musical tone, full of plaintive sorrow. “I’ve saved you from a life of misery and woe—but oh! great Heavens! at what a fearful price !”’ - She pressed her lips to the clay-cold face of the corpse. ’ Hugged it passionately in her arms and hung her face over it. ; ‘* She falls,’’ said Mermet, half aloud, But no. She sank upon her knees, with the lifeless babo in her arms, still pressed passionately to her bosom. Then her bosom heayed heayily and a mighty sob was heard. But no tears. Her eyes were ready to burst with fire, but she could not weep now. She was speaking again. A low but passionately- earnest tone of supplication, ‘‘ Surely there can be no future punishment for my crime,”’ she said, gazing upwards into the starlit heayens, **I have suffered so much here for my fault —so much—so very much.” Suddenly she broke off short. ; Covered up the face of the baby corpse and looke around her, Terror unspeakable was in her beauteous but pale face, What could it be ? Mermet had not moved, nor scarcely breathed so that one next him could have caught the sound. But now that the necromancer looked about him he saw the reason of the youthful mother’s alarm. He was not the only person who kept a watch upon her. Upon the other side of the garden—just peeping from behind a tree—he could see the glistening of a rain-proof hat. It was a policeman. Seeing that his presence had been discovered, the constable pushed aside the shrubs and adyanced. **Oh !” cried the girl, with a hasty effort to conceal her ghastly burden, ‘f Who is it? What want you here ?” ‘‘ What have you there ?’’ said the policeman, slip- ping up to her, Nothing, I—” 'T have watehed you,” said the man. ‘I haye seen everything, and it is useless denying it.” “‘ Mercy! mercy !”’ cried the girl, She prostrated herself before the man, and Mermet could see that he paused irresolutely, ‘Will he allow her to escape?” gaid tho necro- mancer. ‘f No, he cannot—dare not, It is time that I should interpose. This fellow risks everything for me, and alJl my labours have been in vain.” Mermet the Arab hobbled out from his hiding~« place and joined the group. This was a new alarm. The unhappy girl now deemed herself lost beyond redemption. ‘Hullo!’ said the policeman, not a little frightened. “‘ Why, where have you sprung from.?”’ “I might rather haye asked that question of yon,” replied Mermet. , ind ‘© Why so?” s ‘“‘ Why so?” iterated the necromancer, affecting an indignant astonishment. “‘ Because I wonder much to. see you here at this hour,” “My duty—” “Doesn't call you into our private grounds.” **No, sir, but—” | ‘‘ Then why do you presume to spy upon my daugh- ter’s movements ?”’ “Spy, sir? Why, my duty.” ‘* Pshaw !” said the necromancer, again interrupt Gomichookssacom