Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 138: what you’re looking at

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

132 ROSE MORTIMER ; OR,. EEE el This she could not understand, as she did not hear the faintest sounds of his flight. . However, she could not hesitate for a second to olve this difficult problem. Gathering up her skirts well in her hands, she started ff again, and flew along the road at a pace which must have made her pursuer despair. Not so. He kept to it boldly. He increased his speed wonderfully, and by rapid degrees lessened the distance which separated them. Rose looked around presently, hearing the faint plodding of padded feet behind her, and found, to her infinite alarm, that he was close at hand. With a scream, she started off faster than before. The pursuer spoke not, but only increased his speed, and appeared to be quite fresh. The house was approached, she was then in front of it, and, great Heavens! the door was closed. Up came the man. ‘Help! help! oh! help!” shrieked Rose in terrified accents. The man came up with a dart, and was beside her. He held aknife in his hand, and there was a deadly earnestness in his gestures as he advanced. Rose shrieked with such a will that the house was alarmed upon the instant, and Rose was nota little relieved to hear the window above thrown open. Hullo!” shouted Mr. Davis. ‘Stand off, you blackguard, or, confound you, I’ll blow you to atoms !”’ He held his famous fowling-piece to his shoulder, and this effectually brought the silent pursuer of Rose Mortimer to a stand at a most critical moment. The fellow looked as if he could have devoured poor Rose. But there was the worthy little publican, with the fowling-piece to his shoulder, and looking so formi- dable that her pursuer was forced to content himself with a look of hatred. They preserved the striking tableau in all its integ- rity for a minute perhaps. Then the door was opened behind Rose by Mrs. Davis, who had, at the instigation of her husband, at once flown to open it. * Seeing his evidently destined prey likely to escape him, the ruffian was about to make a movement in that direction. However, he thought better of it. Glancing upward, his eye encountered that of the determined landlord, and he could see at a glance that the latter’s fore-finger trembled nervously upon the trigger. With a howl of disappointment, he turned tail, took to flight, and disappeared. A shot was fired at his retreating figure by Mr. Davis, but more with the intention of hastening his movements than anything else. Rose had recourse to the woman’s first consolation, tears, after escaping from this danger, which had looked so serious for a while. ** How did this arise?’ demanded Mr. Davis. But Rose had not the slightest idea. She had only perceived that she was followed—that her steps were dogged after she had passed Sloeford House. Where the individual who had caused her such a fright sprang from she had not the remotest conception. She now touched upon her meditated departure, which was learnt by the good-natured couple with many expressions of serious and earnest regret. Without entering into too many details (in pursu- ance of her understanding with Mr. Chowler), she told them that she had enemies who were secretly working her destruction. The only means of avoiding this was to fly from that part of the country, She even told them that she believed in all sincerity that the blow which had for a time deprived the road~ side inn of its mistress had been a mistake, and was originally intended for herself. They eagerly pressed her for explanations, but could elicit nothing further from her. Rose had grown cautious and wary by the varied and numerous dangers which she had passed through thus early in the course of her strangely checquered career, and she would not entrust any one with the fatal secrets of the Sloeford family of which she and the theatrical manager were the sole possessors. At least so she believed. Whether they really were the course of our narra- tive will show. Regrets and sad partings were exchanged between Rose and her friends. The good-natured Mrs. Davis and her husband were exceedingly loth to part with their amiable lodger and companion. At the theatre, too, even her enemies (and she had been long-enough amongst them to gain some) were sorry to part with her. Her good nature, lively habits, and cheerful manners had gained all their hearts, even when they had been resolutely set against her. And with many little mementoes of the acquaint- ances she had gathered in her short stay at Mr. Chowler’s theatre, and the kind wishes of a speedy re-union upon the part of all the company, she left. Chowler, as he promised, provided her with several letters of introduction. The most important of these, in Chowler’s opinion, was that addressed to Mr. Wippum, the proprietor of the world-famed circus. To him, accordingly, Rose Mortimer departed. They made one great mistake in their manceuyres, however. | This was the publicity given to our heroine’s next step. Of course it went the round of the company, was talked over in the town, and just produced the effect which they were so very desirous of avoiding. With a heavy heart and a light purse Rose started off. A day’s journey by coach brought our heroine to the town in which Mr. Wippum was staying. Here her letter of introduction was presented, and Wippum was exceedingly gracious. He volunteered at once to do all that lay in his power for his friend Chowler’s introduction. That night Rose was introduced to the manager of the local theatre, and forthwith engaged upon terms which could scarcely be considered liberal, even for a provincial theatre. However, it was a subsistence, and Rose asked for no more. The house at which she lodged was also the resi- dence of some of the talents of the circus. There was a family, comprising Signor Bowerini (an artist of unmistakeable cockney origin), his wife (a raw-boned Irish woman), and two girls, supposed to be Mademoiselles Bowerini. According to a custom in the equestrian profession these two girls assumed the name and were supposed to be daughters of the signor, but were simply his ap- prentices. The treatment which these two poor girls received at his hands was something so repulsive that Rose, under whose observation it frequently occurred, was utterly disgusted. Threats accompanied every conmmand, and some- thing worse even at times. Rose had not been many days here when she had the misfortune to create a bitter enemy in this cock- ney Italian acrobat. Ghook