Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 163: what you’re looking at

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

THE BALLET-GIRL’S REVENGE. 157 ae **T admit it.’’ ** Handsome.’? ** Granted.” ** And agreeable.”’ “True again, but I must say that ‘here’s metal more attractive.’ ”’ Rose Mortimer grew tired of harping upon this continual strain. She turned impatiently away. Just then from the other side of the wing against which she leant a figure peered forward. It was Ethel Warner, with her face flushed almost purple, and her rich full black eyes almost starting from their sockets. She had, in the violence of her passion, bitten her nether lip so deeply that the blood- appeared. As our heroine encountered the eye of the jealous- mad dancer her own cheek flushed perceptibly. She had no cause for blushes, but she felt deeply for the unhappy wife of the flimsey Walters. It was very embarrassing, too, for Rose to feel her- self unintentionally the cause of any matrimonial dis- sensions. She was as much persecuted by the odious attentions of the fickle actor as his unhappy wife was rendered miserable by them. “Oh! Mrs. Walters,’’ she faltered. ‘‘ Madam !”’ said the dancer fiercely. **T don’t know if you have heard half the absurdi- ties which your husband has been pouring into my ear—I will not say troubling me with.’’ ** No don’t,” interrupted the jealous wife, with cut- ting emphasis. “Ahem! But believe me—”’ ‘Oh, there’s no need for apologies,” said the dancer haughtily. *€ Not apology of course.” ‘No, no, these little flirtations are admitted behind, you know.”’ Rose did not like this *‘ Flirtations ?”’ she said, ce Ay.” - “Tf you can so designate it—but believe me that it was entirely a one-sided flirtation.” ce Oh $39 And since your husband is present, and sees that his conduct, which is always embarrassing to me, however he may hide it, is likely to lose me the friendship of his wife, whom I would esteem as a friend, I trust he will spare me in future.” “ Howspare you ?’’ demanded Mr. Hamlet Walters, elevating his eyebrows. “As a butt for his raillery and it is.” Mrs. Walters turned to our heroine with a look of profound gratitude. ‘“‘ My dear girl,’’ she said, “‘ I know that you will forgive me, but I have the misfortune to love a man who cares but very little for me.” “ Ethel !”’ said Walters. ‘<1 repeat it,” said his wife. ‘‘ Else he would not seek every opportunity of wringing my poor heart with his cruelty.’’ “‘ Bosh!” said Mr. Walters. ‘“ He takes a delight init,’’ said Rose. ‘‘ You have one fault, Mrs. Walters.’’ ‘* A fault—not towards him.” ** Pardon me.” “‘Then it is in loving him too much.” ‘ Precisely.” ‘‘Then it is one which I cannot mend,’ she said, with a sigh. ‘“My dear Ethel,’ said Walters severely, ‘you know that if there’s one thing more than another which annoys me it is doing the sentimental in the presence of a third person.”’ ridicule, whichever A CORE SONG: His wife looked upon him in such a manner at this heartless and unfeeling speech that he turned away in confusion, ‘ “Oh ! man, man!” she exclaimed in an agonised whisper. ‘‘ Do not push me too far—do not press me to extremities, I beseech you.” “ sbutt 1? The dancer’s eyes flashed a thousand furies, and she made some short angry reply. Rose was uncomfortable at being thus thrown into one of the endless domestic squabbles of Walters and his wife, and she quitted the spot. From the opposite side of the stage she could see by their gestures that an angry altercation was taking place. Shortly their scene came on. Rose went through her part as well as she was able after what had occurred. All the time she was on the stage she could see the dancer’s eyes fixed upon her from the wing. The demon jealousy was yet gnawing at her heart’s core. ‘ From the bottom of her heart Rose Mortimer pitied er. Walters, who was really an intelligent actor, played upon the present occasion in a way which gained him fresh honours, and brought down the curtain with a round of applause. ‘* Hamlet ’’ was over. Down rushed the members of the company to their several dressing-rooms. There was a grand scramble and confusion amongst those who had to appear in the farce after the tragedy. Rose, amongst the rest, was down below, eagerly preparing for the afterpiece, when a cry was heard above, This was followed by the falling of a body upon the Stage. The dressing-rooms were underneath the stage, and this could be heard as distinctly as if in the room itself. Thinking that something unusual had occurred— some accident to the machinery, perhaps—Rose threw a cloak over her half-completed toilet, and hurried out. The company were flocking out of the rooms up to _the stage. ‘“‘ What is it?”’ asked Rose. But every one was putting the same question, and no one could reply. Rose made her way up with the rest on to the stage. As she gained the top of the stairs a loud noise and confusion of voices struck upon her ears. She ran eagerly forward, and saw several persons making for the back of the stage. She ran with them, and there learnt the cause of the bother. Stretched upon his back across the stage lay Mr. Hamlet Walters. Standing over him was his wife. Her hand grasped an uplifted dagger. With this she was about to strike her prostrate husband. CHAPTER LXIIl. DEAD OR ALIVE? — REPROACHES — ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL—ROSE’S LOVER—THE NOTES — REJECTION — TWO BOUQUETS — THE BLACK BEARD—SINGULAR CONDUCT—ETHEL WARNER —THE FLOWERS—SUDDEN ILLNESS—MYSTERY —DEATH OF ETHEL THE BALLET-DANCER. Rose ran forward. There was a general rush and scramble. eo