Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 173: what you’re looking at

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

THE BALLET-GIRL’S REVENGE. tts — 2167 She glanced about her eagerly. “What are you looking for?”? demanded Clara, with much feeling. “Only a letter. Ah! I have it.” She saw it upon the floor as she spoke and she hastHy recovered it. A glance showed her that it was roughly crumpled up. hen Clara had not read it? Lady Bellisle was considerably relieyed at this, for although she did not at all suspect that her cousin would be guilty of a meanness, yet the risk which they (she and the earl) ran was so great that she felt mistrustful of everything and everybody. “‘Hias something occurred fo disturb you?” de- manded Clara St. John. “* Nothing.”’ “Tm glad of that. I feared that you had received some unpleasant tidings.”’ . toy Lady Bellisle eyed her sharply; but Clara stood her glance firmly. ae “No, dear,” she said calmly, “‘ nothing, I suppose, but the late events. They have shaken me. sadly. You know I have not your endurance under these trying circumstances.”’ ‘She doesn’t think that,’? mused Clara, inwardly. “That’s a quiet bit of sarcasm to herself; but she doesn’t quite know her cousin yet. The time will come when we may be better acquainted.”’ Then she added aloud— “No, dear. You have not. But of course the events which happened before I arrived were natu- rally more unpleasant to you than to me,”’ Lady Bellisle turned sharply upon her cousin, at these words. Why so?” “‘ Because you were in the house at the time of the murder I believe.” The shudder which Lady Bellisle struggled vainly to repress was observed and duly noted by Clara St. John, ‘“No, dear,” she replied, with what calmness she could assume. ‘‘ Not in the house. We did not know of it until the next day.” “No. I thought you knew all about the unhappy occurrence.” . ‘“‘ No, indeed.”’ “The late earl, my poor uncle, shut himself in his room, and the dreadful truth was not known until the night following the death.” “How did they know then that he had died the night before ?”’ ‘The doctors said so.”’ eal 0) swig It began to look something like a cross-examina- tion, so Lady Bellisle grew sharper in her replies and abruptly changed the topic. *¢T have to leave Sloeford again, dear Clara,” she said. ; “ Indeed ?” *< Ay, and at once.” oF Never.” “T must,” ‘Shall you be long gone? Pardon my curiosity, but I missed you sadly whilst you have been away.” ‘© No, dear, I shall not be long.” - *Thanks,’? And, with a fresh embrace, the loving cousins parted. Clara ran up to her room immediately, and, after shutting herself in against intrusion, she opened the secret panel communicating with the passage 1 which she had made such important discoveries. ‘‘ Come forth, old man,”’ she said. And old Martin, the steward, leaning: upon. two sticks, limped out. Pale and wan with long suffering, yet so far reco- vered as to'be able to walk about, he could scarcely have been recognised for the same old man, robust and stout, as Martin, the late earl’s steward and con- fidential servant. ** Blessings upon you, Miss Clara,’ he said. -“ Martin, a word with you at once.” ‘*A hundred, miss, if you wish it. voice is music to my old ears.”’ *“ You have too much gratitude for the little service I have rendered you.”’ “That were impossible.” ‘‘Can you tell me if there is any one whom the earl and Lady Bellisle wish dead, any one whom tliey regard as enemies to be crushed remorselessly from their paths ?”’ ** T should be stich a one did they know that I was saved—saved by your goodness.”’ ‘“‘ Ay, but any one else ?” “eV ex, one,” cf Whos. n6 Aopir 2? ce Ah 19? “She whom I preserved from their infamous clutches, she for whom I incurred their anger, she for whom I should have died a dog’s death, but for your goodness, Miss Clara.’’ And the poor old man seized Clara St. John’s hand in his trembling grasp and smothered it with kisses. ‘“Do you know her name?’ demanded Clara St. John. “Yes, Davis. Mrs. Dayis, of the road-side inn. You know the house, Miss Clara.’’ ** Along the road ?” 74 Yes.’ “But how came this Mrs. Davis to incur her en- mity and the earl’s too 2” *¢ I know not.”’ ‘¢ But how know you that you are correct in your supposition ?”’ ‘‘Tt is no supposition, Miss Clara,’? replied old Martin. “I have, alas! two sad proofs of their en- mity. This Mrs. Davis one night was brought into the house. How I did not know, but in the course of one of my wanderings through the house I made the discovery that they had got a prisoner. I over- heard, too, the most fearful plots on foot for her de- struction.”’ 6¢ Never !”? “Tis true.” 5 ** And what did you do ?”’ ““T chose my opportunity, aided her to frustrate an attempt to administer poison, and then in the silent night I helped her to escape.” ‘¢ But will she not expose them and betray you 2”’ ‘‘Not if she is truthful. I bound her to silence by oath.”’ ‘¢ Will she observe it ?” **T know not.”’ “Tt is doubtful.”’ “ And yet the risk for them is not very great; for their captive did not know her j ailors’ name and had no notion of their high rank; and, besides bind- ing her, by oath, I was careful to lead her away in the night by such a circuitous route that I am posi- tive, with the confusion and alarm and trouble which prevailed, she did not know in which direction she came away.” ‘“T hope not.” hind SB ES ‘¢ For the sake of the honour of the family.” ‘Ah, Miss Clara,” said old Martin, “it wants looking after sadly.” i * Your swect Es * Cs There was no address upon the letter which the Earl of Sloeford had forwarded to his cousin. COn ClIOOKKS «ACO