Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 158: what you’re looking at

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

| 152 ROSE MORTIMER. a ‘*T—I’m sure.” * Silence.” She took a small crystal phial from her pocket. Then, with the cruellest deliberation, a small stiletto Was produced. Rose saw her preparation in terror. Fear choked her utterance. She could not breathe a cry for her own salvation. ““ Now,” said the lady, ‘‘ which do you prefer ?”’ “What mean—” began Rose. “Not aword. You haven’t another minute’s life.”’ “f Mercy. !” “Ali! The dagger or the phial? Rose turned and darted past her. But it was a vain hope. The black woman sprang after her, dragged “her back, and forced her upon the sofa. Rose was powerless and at their mercy. Quick.”’ CHAPTER LXI. THE POISON AND THE DAGGER--AN INTERRUP-~ TION —AN OLD FRIEND —A LUCKY ESCAPE— THE LANDLORD’S PROTESTATION—ROSE’S FOR- BEARANCE — THE LETTERS— MUTUAL UNDER- STANDING — THE OFFERED BRIBE—A NEW DANGER — LADY BELLISLE IN DIFFICULTIES. RosE MORTIMER thought that her time had now really come. : Held down in a vice-like grasp by the negro woman and her cruel enemy, in whose path unhappy chance had once more thrown her, matters looked critical for our heroine. , She appeared at this moment nearer the end of her career than she has ever been since we have charged ourselves with the relation of her fortunes. But she was not to die. The door was suddenly burst open with a crash. A loud commotion of voices and a dispute were heard without. Then in rushed the landlord, followed by two or three men. “Hullo!” cried the former. thought.” . ‘* Seize her !” They rushed up to the lady and caught hold of her roughly. But upon the instant, in spite of the extraordinary scene just enacted, the lady did not appear to lose her composure in the least. The phial and the dagger both disappeared as if by magic. . And she was there, cold, haughty, and severe as before. ‘‘ What mean you by this violence ?”” she demanded sternly. a What do you mean ?”’ quoth the landlord. Sind? “Ay, ’taint no use showing off your fine airs upon me, mum,” said the landlord. ‘‘ What’s that door locked for ?”’ She eyed her questioner with a glance of supreme disdain. ** She won’t answer.” cc No.” ‘* She can’t.” “‘ Then she’s guilty.”’ *“ Ay. Off with her to the lock-up.” This appeared to have ae effect of once more Joosening the lady’s tongue. ‘*Unhand me, you ruffians !”’ she exclaimed. She spoke with an air of command which appeared “See there, just as I so thoroughly natural to her that the men instantly drew away. The lundlord now turned towards our heroine, who stood by the sofa upon which she had been thrust by the black woman, trembling and quaking with fear, and unable to say a word as yet in her own behalf. ‘«‘ What have ye got to say, miss?”” said the land- lord to Rose. Rose looked up timidly. So suddenly had the violent and totally unprovoked assault occurred that the poor girl’s senses were ut- terly scared from her for the present. ““T am ata loss to understand what all this means,”’ said the lady. = *¢ So am I,” said the landlord. . ‘Why do you presume to break in upon my privacy thus ?’’ ‘“‘ Privacy, privacy, be hanged, madam. You have no right to privacy in the coffee-room.”’ ‘‘ Provided it was not agreeable to the rest of the occupants.” ‘¢ Which it warn’t.”’ “This young lady made no objection,” said the other. “‘ Well, of all the cool affairs! Why, dash it, ’pon my soul it licks cockfighting.”’ “ Art sure thee wert right, Mickey?” demanded one of the men. ’ “Sure. I saw it.” - “Saw what?” “ Why, I was looking in at the parlour window when I see—”’ ** Nothing, nothing,’ said Rose. This was a startler. Every one looked astonished. The lady herself looked so thoroughly surprised that it was remarked by all present. She could not comprehend the motive which prompted our heroine to deny the truth when against her own safety. However, it very shortly made itself apparent. ‘‘ Why !” exclaimed the landlord, ‘‘ I was a looking through the window there when I saw the old nigger and this other woman seize the young lady and pitch her upon the sofa. another tries to force something into her mouth.” . * Absurd,”’ said the lady. ‘*T say it’s true.” ‘* Nonsense.”’ . Rose said nothing, and the people who had entered in the rush with the landlord began to glance from one to the other, quite perplexed. ‘You must have dreamt it, Mickey,’’ said one of the foremost. 74 Bah a2 = ‘ ‘¢ See, the lady denies it.” ** Of course.” “And the young lady herself doesn’t say anything about it. You're wrong.’’ ‘She doesn’t speak, it’s true,” said the landlord, ‘and I confess that that looks rum; but depend upon it they've done something to her to silence her. See how frightened she is.” This was apparent enough to the most ordinary ob- server. Rose had not recovered from the terrors which she just undergone. Yet had she sufficient sense to lay ont a line of con- duct which was afterwards to lead to some singular results. These we shall show. “Well, why don’t the young woman speak for her- self?”? suggested one. ** Ah, why don’t she ?” Just at this point Blanche Bowerini returned. She burst through the mob collected at the door, and pushed her way up to Rose. i OimiGcGVoOOKS..cOm Then one holds her down whilst