Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 185: what you’re looking at

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

THE BALLET-GIRL’S REVENGE. 179 ee You are the passenger who got in after the train started, I presume, ma’am ?”’ _ “What then?” ** You must leave the train please.”’ ‘* Such is my intention.” ‘“You are aware that you have committed a serious offence against the bye-laws of the company, and—’”’ ‘“‘And what, my good man? I’m pressed for time, or I should never have done it.’’ “‘ Pardon me, but the offence has increased so much of late that I have the strictest injunctions to—’’ “Tut, tut,’ exclaimed Lady Bellisle, impatiently stamping her little foot, ‘ to what, to extort money ? Here.” She handed him a bank note for five pounds and pushed past him. “* Madam, I—”’ *¢ Enough,” And she was gone. What became of the fine thus singularly inflicted and so summarily met we are not in a position to vouch. This we should certainly say, however, without fear of scandal, that it never found its way into the rail- way company’s exchequer. ‘When will the next train for Barford be due?’’ asked Lady Bellisle. ‘‘Ten minutes,” was the reply. ‘* How long since the last left ?”’ ‘‘Three hours and a quarter.’’ Then if the Earl of Sloeford had come py that train he must yet be about the station or somewhere at hand. She strolled about the platform and looked into the first-class waiting room. It was empty. She then looked at the next. room. This was half filled with a rough ragged-looking lot of agricultural labourers and farm servants. Lady Bellisle wore a thick veil, and had not much fear of being recognised by the Sloeford tenantry or servants should any chance to be there. She therefore entered and peered about at every one. Now in the whole place there were but two persons who attracted her attention for an instant. One of these was a meagre-looking man with short iron-grey whiskers covering his cheek bones, short cropped hair of the same hue, and a particularly seedy hat. He carried a blue legal-looking bag in a cotton- gloved hand. ‘“‘That’s some country lawyer’s mentally. ‘ But the other puzzles If it is he the disguise is perfect.” The other was a man of the same height and general build. A dark swarthy complexion and a bushy black beard of a strictly continental cut gave him the ap-~ pearance of a Leicester Square refugee. He glanced up once er twice uneasily beneath a pair of overhanging beetle brows at the lawyer’s clerk, who had been endeavouring to engage him in conversation. As Lady Bellisle drew near the latter made some remark which she could not catch. Thereupon the foreigner simply shrugged his shoulders with an expressive air of indifference. Then he rose and sauntered from the room. There was a certain limp in his gait which seemed familiar to Lady Bellisle. It was the most trifling matter in the world, but the quick-sighted woman detected it at once. She waited a few seconds, looked easily about her, and then strolled out after him—very leisurely. He had entered the first-class waiting room, and was standing at the open window looking down the clerk,’’ she said me considerably. Line; apparently longing for the arrival of the expected rain. Lady Bellisle proceeded very cautiously to work now. Without appearing to exercise any caution at. all, ane entered the room without any noise or ostenta- ion. It was admirably done, She stared hard at-the foreign-looking man. with the swarthy skin and the black beard. ‘Yes, yes,” she murmured, ‘‘ there is no doubt of itnow. Admirably done too.’’ She walked softly across the room to the foreign- looking man, and placed a gentle hand upon his shoulder. ** Ah—h—h,”’ he gasped. And when he looked up the change which had taken place in his countenance in that brief moment was positively alarming. He started as if his shoulder had been touched by a scorpion. His face was pale as that of a corpse. His eyes shone with a sudden and unearthly lustre which was terrifying to behold. ‘‘ Wha—at charge ?’”’ he muttered. ‘* Spencer.”’ ‘“You? What a turn you gave me!”’ The foreign-looking man was indeed he whom Lady Bellisle had supposed—the object of her rapid journey and the great efforts she had made during the past few days. In a word, the Earl] of Sloeford. ‘You look quite scared, Spencer,’’ exclaimed Lady Bellisle. “* Hush !” ‘Come, come, be more yourself.” ** Ah! you don’t know what has occurred.’’ Alas! 72 ‘‘ Hush! Allis safe if I but get rid of the present difficulty.”’ “What do you mean?” *€ She is gone!”’ ‘Ah! Spencer, there, there lies the horror. did you know all!”’ ** Know all ?” ‘* Ay, as Ido.” ‘What do you mean 2?” *¢ We are undone!’ The Earl of Sloeford started in undisguised alarm at this. ‘Surely you cannot understand me,’’ he. said. Rose Mortimer is removed from our path.” ‘© Alas V’ ** Alas ?”’ iterated the earl. : “Oh! Spencer, Spencer, we are ruined—undone, lost beyond redemption !” ‘¢ Explain yourself.’? ‘‘Rose Mortimer’s death brings about exposure, disgrace, and shame.” ‘* But my incognito is safe.’’ Tis not there that lies the danger.’’ ** Where then ?’’ *‘ Listen. Rose Mortimer had taken the precaution, with more wit than I gave her credit for, of insuring our forbearance thus:—A written description of—of—’’ (here Lady Bellisle’s voice sank to astill lower whisper) ‘¢ what we most fear to be known has been prepared by Rose Mortimer, and placed by her in trusty hands, to be opened and made public after a silence of ten days.”’ ‘© Ah !% ‘© You see what I mean now.’’ ‘“Fdo, tf do’ ‘¢ For the past week I have been running after you from town to town to inform you of this, but all in vain.’ Oh! COMME TOOKS COL