Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 130: what you’re looking at

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

124 ROSE MORTIMER ; OR, geal Gy od ed ‘¢ Unless they wait for a more fitting moment.” “¢ How can they have any choice ?”’ “‘That remains to be seen.” ““Pshaw! Alice! Your fears blind your reason and your better judgment.”’ ‘* Perhaps,”’ said Lady Bellisle. ‘“‘ But I feel assured that they will come forward yet when we least expect at.” ‘By hell! they never shall,’’ ejaculated the earl, with such a voice that the whole place re-echoed with his vehemence. ‘‘ No, no. If only to silence your silly fears, this night I will start upon my journey. But one thing remains to be told.’ After then you must not raise up any more spectres to frighten us both into imagining all these horrors. This actress shall perish, and the man too, since it must be so.”’ “Oh, Spencer, Spencer, beware how you act in this, I beseech you.’’ ‘Oh, have no fears for me.”’ “* But Martin.?’ ‘Oh! he’s gone from this wicked world of suf- fering,”’ said the Earl of Sloeford. And he gave a cold horrible grating laugh which jarred upon the ears of the gentle Clara St. John. She felt that he was alluding to the old servitor whose bleeding corpse was so terribly near to her even then. ‘* No, no, Alice,’ resumed the earl. ‘‘ You must in- dulge in no more of these gloomy fancies. Your wild notions have already led us into one fearful error from which it required the utmost address to extri- cate ourselves.’’ “What mean you?” ‘‘The carrying off of the buxom innkeeper’s wife in the night.”’ “‘ But there is no danger to be apprehended from there now.”’ ** None.”’ **You will take with you the bottle I got from the old Arab ?”’ ‘* What you went all the way to London to procure, you mean ?’’ Vero’ “T’ll take it with me. Yes.” ‘“ And remember how to use it.’’ “Oh! Ido. A few drops upon a bouquet will settle the business.”’ 66 Yes.” ‘* But are you sure of its efficacy?” ‘¢ Beyond all doubt.”’ ‘I should prefer to see the effect. myself before using it.’’ ‘* But I tell you that I saw it so wonderfully tested by the old Arab astrologer that not a particle of doubt remains on my mind.”’ “ Poor proof for me.” ‘It must suffice you.”’ *¢ Enough.” And thus the conference ended. Clara could hear no more from her hiding-place at present. She had heard no opening nor shutting of door, and therefore could not venture to push open the closet door and see where it entered into. So she turned from the closet, closed the door, and regained the dark passage. As she was turning off she felt that the edge of her skirt had caught something. She pulled it, but although it yielded a little, it would not give way. She stooped down and applied her hand to remove the obstacle. Judge then her horror and dismay when her hand encountered the clutch of a human being. A wet hand! “Oh, how dreadful!” she ejaculated. ‘* How very awful is this !”’ The grasp upon her skirt too was such that she could not disengage it. She took the damp clammy hand in hers and en- deavoured to force it open. But no. Her hand slipped from the ensanguined rasp. Wet and bedabbled in the life-blood of the poor old servitor. : ‘Mercy !”’ gasped a faint voice. ‘“ Ah! he lives then !” “¢ Save me, in mercy,” said the old man feebly. “© What is it ?”’ demanded Clara, stooping down to the wounded man. “Oh! I am hurt, wounded, grievously stabbed, lady.” *¢ Who has done it ?” “¢ The—the ear] !”’ The old man’s voice was so faint as to be scarcely audible. ‘ “The earl stabbed you ?” = ‘Yes, as he stabbed my dear old master and his uncle.” ‘“‘ The late earl ?” “Ye—es.”’ “You know this?” **T saw it.” This interested Clara mightly. At once she had resolved to render such aid as was possible to the old servant whom Spencer Bellisle and his guilty cousin deemed murdered outright. “Can you rise ?” “¢ Alas! no.” ‘¢ Where is your wound ?”’ ‘¢ Here, in my side.’”’ Clara took her handkerchief and placed it in the old man’s hand. ‘‘ Take this,” she said. ‘‘ Hold it firmly to the place, Stop the bleeding if possible.”’ “Thanks, dear lady.’’ **T will go for assistance.” ‘* Hush! beware, the earl !’’ ‘¢There’s no fear.’’ “¢ Silence—I beseech you, silence. anything to save himself now.”’ ‘* Fear nothing. I will first get a light, and see if your wound be dangerous.”’ ‘‘Thanks, thanks, dear lady.’’ ‘“You know me?” . *< Ts it not Miss Clara?” ‘Yes.’ ‘“Then Heayen’s blessing be upon your dear inno- cent head.” Clara could not refrain from shuddering at the old man’s warm gratitude. She thought in horror how little she deseryed the praises. ‘“Be comforted, Martin,’ she said. ‘I will return in an instant.’’ ** Bless you.’’ ’ What a singular joy did this guilty woman now feel at the prospect of rendering the poor old man some service ! For the first time for many years she had done an act which was strangely at variance with her ordi- nary course of life, and thé enjoyment, the whole- some healthy enjoyment, she experienced in it was wonderful. Oh, how different from the feverish triumph ex- perienced in the accomplishment of one of the many crimes with which she stood accounted! Murmuring words of comfort and consolation to the old man, she gained the end of the narrow pas- sage. It was pitch dark. He would risk SOlnihGDOOKS-CoO.