Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

6 ROSE MORTIMER ; OR, *¢ Are you an orphan ?” ‘*T have a father.” ‘** And his name ?” “ Hugh, sir; Hugh Mortimer.”’ A demoniacal smile again passed over the count’s face, but he asked no further questions, but sat caress- ing his moustache while Rose again returned her thanks. When the young girl left the manager’s room she found Jack Halliday waiting for her outside. There was no need for him to question her. The bright smile which lit up her face was proof sufficient that she had been successful, and the good- hearted,scene-painter took her little fingers in his big hand and congratulated her warmly. Willingly, in reply to his questions, she told him all that had happened at the interview. When she mentioned the count, however, his face darkened and he clenched his fist. ‘‘ Beware of that man,” he said. “Beware of him? In what way ?”’ ‘* He is a—he is a villain.” ‘Why, what has he done?” and Rose opened her beautiful eyes very wide. **T cannot tell you, for I only suspect and mistrust him.”’ ‘* Surely you are unjust; he appeared to be very kind.” Jack Halliday made no reply, but conducted her back to the stage-door. It was late in the afternoon when Rose reached her home. As she was about to enter the house the door opened silently, sufficiently wide to admit of a man’s egress. It was a tall sanctimonious-looking person who came forth. His clothes were black and of a clerical cut, his white tie was dirty and tumbled, anu his face was bound up on one side with a coloured cotton hand- kerchief. With a half-suppressed cry Rose started aside. for in him she recognised the scoundrel who had assaulted her the night before. Shuddering, she shrank away as from a reptile. He did not see her, but pursued his way, a grin of satisfaction making his face appear still uglier than usual. No sooner had he passed than Rose entered the house and hurried up the stairs. ‘* Father, father,” she cried, as she entered the room *‘ what brought him here?” ‘Who do you mean ?”’ asked Hugh Mortimer with an oath. ‘* Abel Booth !” He turned ghastly pale. “What do you mean, girl? Speak!” ‘“‘T saw him quit the house not a minute ago.”’ Hugh Mortimer grasped the edge of the ricketty table and stared vacantly beforehim. Then, suddenly rousing himself, he sprang to his feet. ‘Curse him! a thousand curses on his prying sneaking eyes! If he has seen—’’ “¢ Seen what, father ?”’ ‘“‘ Nothing, nothing,” he said, letting his head fall into his hands, and groaning. ‘* Rose,’ he added presently, ‘‘ I have seen no one since you left the house this morning. Are you positive of the man?’’ 66 I am.’’ ‘“‘And that it was from our door he took his departure ?”’ “IT could not be mistaken.”’ ‘‘Then we shall hear of his visit in another way before many days have elapsed. Something must be dene—something must be done.’’ “* But father, dear father, explain to me what is the cause of yourfear.” In vain, however, did she appeal to him. He waved her fiercely off when she would haye clung to him and encircled his neck with her soft white arms. Mumbling unintelligibly to himself, he paced to and fro in the little room, ever and anon wandering to the window, and, peering down into the silent and deserted street, with a scared white face and bloodshot eyes. The girl, crouching in a corner, dared not speak or move, lest she should again rouse his displeasure; and thus the weary hours passed, and night crept down upon the city and filled the room with its shadows. It was not till it was quite dark that she rose to her feet, and was stealing away as noiselessly as possible, when her father called out, in a loud terrified voice, ‘¢ Who’s there? Who’s there ?”’ ‘“>'Tis I, father,’’ replied the trembling girl. “You? Curses light on you! What do you want, stealing about like a thief? Are you in league with them” Are you playing the spy upon me? By - Heaven! if I thought so—”’ As he spoke he clutched her by the arm, his face distorted by passion, his whole frame trembling with his rage. ‘Father! father!’’ she cried in terror, and raising her hands to ward off a threatened blow. ‘<A blight upon your yale face and smooth tongue!”’ exclaimed the deperado; ‘‘it is your fault that it ‘has all happened—it is your namby-pamby modesty that has brought this evil upon me.”’ His fingers tightened their hold upon her arm till the pain almost made her shriek. ‘¢ Father! you hurt my arm,’’ she cried, With a savage oath, he shook her violently ; then, with all his strength, he hurled her from him. ‘ With a low sobbing moan she staggered and fell, and, covering her face with her hands, cried aloud in the anguish of her heart. It was not the blow, though that was bad enough; it was the cruelty which prompted it. This was all that she had ever known of home— this the only parent she had had to cling to through many long years of penury and privation, and whom, brute though he was to her, she yet dearly loved; ay, loved, as suffering woman will love till the world’s end, in spite of cruelty and neglect. . Leaving her unheeded, Hugh Mortimer returned to his post by the window and stared down into th street. The flickering of the uncertain light upon his face half led her to think that she saw tears in his eyes. . : Was he sorry for his harshness towards her? Should she creep back to his side? Suddenly, while Rose stood yet irresolute, he uttered a wild cry, and, with outstretched arm pointing to some object in the street, screamed to her to come and look also. Rose, hesitating no longer, sprang to his side and asked in terrified accents what had happened. He stood as if transfixed. His eyes glared wildly. His limbs trembled. He regarded her not, but still remained with out- stretched hand, staring in one direction. Rose looked towards the place to which he pointed. Standing beneath a gas-lamp on the other side of the way were the figures of three men, though, in the rapidly increasing darkness, Rose failed to recognise in them any cause for alarm. Presently the lamp was lit, and a glare was thrown full upon the upturned face of one of the trio, Rose turned ghastly pale. eC paice|oyoye) SaGO© -_