Penny Dreadfuls, 1865 · page 183 of 204
Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 183: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Analysis: Rose Mortimer; or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge This is an **illustrated page of running prose** from a Victorian penny dreadful serial (page 177). The engraving depicts two figures examining what appears to be a body in a cemetery or graveyard, captioned "[THE BODYSNATCHERS.]" The text describes a woman (apparently Lady Bellisle) investigating a theatrical incident at a stage door. She learns from a doorkeeper that someone died of poison—a dancer, not an actor. The passage reveals Lady Bellisle's apparent prior knowledge of the victim and her subsequent confused state as she leaves the theater, uncertain of her next action. The narrative suggests themes of mystery, deception, and revenge central to the serial's melodramatic plot.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ROSE MORTIMER ; OR, THE BALLET-GIRL’S REVENGE. 177 I \\\ \y TN \ iN ‘\ t MK \ S\N NY * SSX SS : ->, a » i Fox ~ \ man 1) a eee \s a LUNES A EX = ef -~ ‘i _—_—— i =——>- tlivs — =| [THE BODYSNATCHERS.] The excitement in the theatre became immense after a while.. But little could she glean for some time. At length she bethought her to go and make inquiries at the stage door. This she could venture to do in perfect safety. If Rose Mortimer were indeed dead she had nothing to fear, for no one else could recognise her there. Accordingly she made her way to the stage door. “ Can you tell me the nature of the accident ?”’ she asked of the doorkeeper. “ Pison,’”’ replied the man shortly, Poison ?”’ , COM MIC OOO KS n COU He nodded. ‘< One of the actors ?”’ He shook his head. ‘¢T heard that it was.” £6 Dancer,?’ “ Ah!” thought Lady Bellisle. “That settles it. She is a dancer, or was originally, I know well, from the inquiries I have made.” She turned from the stage door after thanking the man, and left. At her wit’s end for the next step to take, Lady Bellisle walked dreamily through the town, possessed of a kind of coma from which she could not rouse herself.