Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 160: what you’re looking at

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

rr ere eee 154 ROSE MORTIMER ; OR, ee ee escaped a just punishment for an audacious assault upon a harmless and inoffensive girl in a house of public entertainment. But our heroine had not yet seen the last of it. When the lady was once more alone with her negro attendant she paced up and down the room, lost in a deep meditation, From time to time a few words escaped her and were eagerly picked up by the black woman. ‘‘ A singular chance!”? she exclaimed. ‘‘ I cannot at all understand this. A special Providence seems to protect this Rose Mortimer from us. And shall she escape thus? Never, by Heaven! I feel that until she is removed we are not safe. Whilst Rose Mor- timer lives and the lost heir of Sloeford still breathes I feel the cord around my neck and see it coiling about Spencer.” Strange thought ! _No reflection crossed her guilt-distorted imagina- tion concerning the singularity of her own salyation. It never appeared to occur to her how singular was the chance which had silenced Rose Mortimer’s tongue. No gratitude to Providence touched the heart of this guilty woman for her undeserved escape when everything was so black against her, had Rose Mor- timer chosen to say a word. The black woman all the time appeared not to con- sider the extraordinary scene in which she had just enacted so prominent a character by any means an out-of-the-way performance. On the contrary, she seemed to look upon the in- terruption only with the greatest vexation. ‘* My lady,” she said, presently. “What now?’? demanded her mistress. do you want ?”’ “T should like to take that old man’s life.”’ “¢ Hush !”” Pit The sentiment thus agreeably uttered did not ap- parently shock the lady so much as the possibility of it being overheard. She heard the footstep of the landlord without the coffee-room again, : He knocked this time before entering. “* Come in!” He walked in, holding a letter humbly in his hand. ‘* A letter ?”’ said the lady, surprised. ‘From the young lady, madam.” ce Oh 19 She took it from his hand haughtily. Then stared him out of countenance rudely, and he retreated in the greatest confusion. ‘A letter from her!” she murmured. ‘‘ What can it mean?” 7 As she mused thus she broke, the seal and opened it. The first words which caught her eyes caused her to start. She read it aloud. “*To Lapy BELLISLE.?’ then ! “ What Oh! she has my name, ‘“*Madam,— Think of my forbearance to-day, and let your unjust cruel enmity pursue meno further. Believe me that your greatest security lies in my silence. I can and do forgive much. Many injuries L allow to pass unrepaid. Then be satisfied. My forgiveness will but avail you here. I. cannot now, in spite of myself, carry my mercy into my grave. ‘* What can the girl mean by that?” It was puzzling. The explanation was to be found in the concluding words. They ran thus :— “A sealed account of all that you so dread being known to the world lies in the hands of trusty persons, ready to be opened after a silence of ten days uponmy part. I am not, like yourself, re- vengeful, or you would not have had a second op- portunity of offering me violence after the failure of your plans at Sloeford. Be advised by one who wishes you no harm; by one who would fain un-learn what she knows is so deplored by you. In con- clusion, be sure that my proofs are so abundant that you could not hope to clear yourself, should I come to an untimely end.” This was startling. ‘Tf the girl speaks the truth, I’ve had a narrow escape !’’ she said. ‘‘ But to resume this extraordinary letter. “<¢ Be assured of my veracity, and do not deem it a mere safety precaution for myself. Do not either deem me weak or foolish because I thus spared you when by your rashness you had placed yourself at my mercy—when a word would have delivered you over to the hands of justice. I feel an mward monitor which forbids me to harm you, or I might have been less merciful. Spare me your persecution and be prudent. ‘Rose MORTIMER.’ “A strange letter !’’ said Lady Bellisle, for it was she, as we have seen by the heading of Rose Mor- timer’s epistle. ‘‘ Strange! Perhaps true. Ifso, then I have had a singularly happy escape again. Let mo — see.”’ ; She walked up and down the room for some consi- derable time, burried in deep thought. ¥ Presently she seated herself at the table and wrote as follows :— * Your prudence is commendable. Count upon my protection if you will. Your own precautions ensure you. I appeal to no further sensations than reason and interest. Use caution still, with your defensive weapons, for others might be less prudent than yourself. Think of my offer. Count npon my wealth if pecuniary assistance be desirable.” | She put this into an enyelope, together with a bank note for a hundred pounds sterling. / She then sealed it and called the landlord. ‘Take this to the young lady,” she said, 6¢ Any answer?’ , ce No.’’ Rose received the answer and read it carefully through. : “This will never do,” she said to herself. ‘This clearly implies a bribe.’” She wrote a few words hastily upon a scrap of paper and enclosed them with the bank note to Lady Bel- lisle. As her ladyship opened the envelope, and found it to contain the returned bank note, she could not con- tain her astonishment. It was her pet notion that every man and woman had their price. : Could she refuse money ? The words which our heroine had written in the, note ran thus :— ‘ “TI return the bank note. I do not desire a bribe to induce me to keep silent. I thus should render myself a partner in an act which my soul abhors. It would render me unhappy by remorse of con- science, and your secret would no longer be safe.” Lady Bellisle tossed her head with a gesture of astonishment, = tmeeCOmick OGKKS