Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 132: what you’re looking at

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

a ee ee ee er eer 126 ROSE MORTIMER ;. OR, A iis _“ Something wrong, I fear, downstairs.” ‘What do you mean?”’ ‘¢ A. noise ‘at the front door.” ‘* Never, . Wait, I’ll come,’’, Rose suddenly remembered that she. was in rather a loose state of apparel to have an interview with her landlord. | She beat a hasty retreat into the bedchamber and speedily put on a few garments to etiable her'to pro- || ceed unrestrainedly in her movements: i And now: Rose fancied. that she could hear fresh footsteps without, as if the parties had been re- inforced. She repaired to the passage, and called out her fears to Mr. Davis. “ All. right, my dear Miss Mortimer,’? said, the young landlord. “I long for a slap at somebody. I’m after them.’? ‘* Be careful,’’? said Rose. “©Oh! I'll be careful.’’ ‘I fear that you may come to some harm’else.” “¢ Have no fears for me.” ‘Oh! but you do not know these people.” ‘Bh 2’? Rose bit‘ her lip.and was silent. i Another instant, and her indiscreet fears would have given up the secrets which, in common with Chowler, the little theatrical manager, she had contrived to keep so religiously. She could now hear that the landlord was indeed bestirring himself, and she much feared, by the noise he made in his movements.that the party without —who were there, she felt convinced, with some nefa- rious intent—would be pushed to open violence. Now she could hear a small table being moved there. This she knew by the sound to be a toilette table, the property of the lost landady, which stood by the window. Then he was going to open the window. Yes, there was no mistake about this, for in the space of two seconds she could hear the lattice unfastened and opened. Rose Mortimer regained her own apartment-and ran up to the window. Then opened it with as little noise as possible and peeped out. There was a man there—a figure which she remem- bered. The same mask hid his features from view. In his hand he earried some small instrument, which our heroine was unable plainly to distinguish at first. A keener glance, however, showed that it was a re- volver, As this occurredto hershe heard Mr. Davis chal- lenge the masked man from the adjoining window. ‘* Hullo, there !”? he cried. ‘* Who’s there ?” But there was no answer. The mask, even then hoping to escape observation, drew near to the house, and then stepped into the door- way. : Too late. “Come out of that!” eried the enraged landlord. ““Come out, or I’ll blow your brains ont,” This caused a change inthe man’s demeanour im- mediately. He leant forward, with an upraised hand, pointed at Davis. “Ah!” shrieked Rose. This probably preserved the landlord’s life, There was a report of firearms. The barrel of the masked man’s revolver had been discharged, and shivered the next window to atoms! Then out darted the mask. Davis had awaited his time, and now no sooner did he get a fair view of the man than he aimed and fired. His weapon was a fowling-piece, not of a very supe- rior make, and only loaded with duck shot, but it « a¥/ was well aimed and took effect. Down dropped the mask ! 1 “Brought him to grass!” cried Davis triumph- antly. He sprang from the window and hastily reloaded his fowling-piece. rt bl Then darted downstairs. Rose was greatly alarmed at all this, as may bo naturally supposed, but she could not leave the win- dow until she had seen the termination of the strange drama. At But she repented of the curiosity which prompted her to this. J The wounded man (for wounded he was beyond a doubt) raised himself upon his elbow, and with his disengaged hand pointed directly at Rose Mortimer. A cry burst from -the lips of the startled girl, and she sprang from the window. a” A glance had shown her'that the hand grasped tho pistol still, and that her life was endangered, Ai Barely had she quitted the window when there was a second report, and'a pistol bullet whisked so un- pleasantly close to Rose Mortimer’s head that she could actually feel the wind of it as it passed, It lodged in the wall over the doorway, But the man—this would-be assassin — what had become of him ? As she stood at the further end of her bedroom she could; hear that the door below was opened by Mr, Davis, and that he ran out. ARMAS This set poor Rose in a greater fright than ever, for she had just learned that the wounded man was not too badly hurt.to make himself a very dangerous enemy. } : | And it was all due to herself, she feared, and -to the fatal curiosity which had led her and Chowler to play the spy upon the actions of the highly-born assassins of the Earl of Sloeford. wana At all risks she must render Mr. Davis what assist- ance:she could. bie ne She ran downstairs to the door. 1 Saeed Mr. Davis and the wounded man had both disap- peared. ged This was most singular, as the masked ruffian had evidently been hurt in a way which must have seri- ously impeded his locomotion, Bid i However, this did not cause her much trouble, nor for long. ,o In the space of a few seconds back came the young landlord, gun in hand, and in hot haste, looking up and down the road, | oe “Where is he, Mr. Davis ?” cried Rose. “Then you’ve scen all ?”” ‘Yes. Where did the man go to?” * ‘Gad! I should like to be told that.” ~~) “> ‘‘ But had he gone when you got downstairs?” **T can’t possibly say. All I know is that when I ran to the door and pulled at it it was fast from the outside.” : ** Held ?” “ So I thought, but, as it didn’t yield in the least, I concluded—rightly, as it turned out—that some sort of fastening had been put to it.” | * How 7” : . “A stick had been passed through the handle of the latch. As the door opens on the. inside, this was easy enough,’” Durr sh, “ How strange !” pst “It was. And it resisted a power of strength like you’ve no idea of. Howeyer, I managed to push it through, and when I got out he had flown.” “Strange,” said Rose. ‘ I thought he was so badly wounded, too.”” ; ‘ The rascal wasn’t alone.”? ' r