Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 187: what you’re looking at

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

THE BALLET-GIRL’S REVENGE. SS ——————————— corpse, after the manner of a patient for chest disease. ‘* Not the faintest,’ he murmured. What could he mean ? , This we shall see. After examining the body thus for some short time he left it. Then he commenced some odd proceedings with a variety of bottles of every size, colour, and shape. Drugs, compounds, and philtres of endless kinds were applied to. This established one fact beyond a doubt, however. Let the Arab be a quack in his necromancy or not, he certainly had some knowledge of medicines. It yet remains to be seen to what purpose he could use them. After some little labour thus he compounded a mixture of some crimson liquids, which he brought to the side of the corpse. Then he got a glass tube, narrow at one end, a kind of funnel, which he inserted between her tightly clenched teeth. Then he poured the contents of the glass down it. Physic for the dead! Strange proceeding ! He stood still; watching the effect of the potion upon the cerpse, and apparently he discovered some difference, although to an ordinary observer it re- mained precisely the same as before. “Good, good!” muttered the conjuro-astrologo- physician. He then procured a basin of warm water, and with a sponge bathed the body incessantly for full twenty minutes. When he had concluded this strange portion of these out-of-the-way proceedings, he procured a second draught, which was administered to the corpse as before. The only thing which might have appeared strange or worthy of remark here was that the teeth of the corpse seemed even firmer set than before. This discovery, however, did not in any way stay the necromancer’s energies. On the contrary, it appeared rather to incite him to fresh vigour in his wild and unearthly project, what- ever it might prove to be. ‘True as a die,’’? he muttered. This stage in the proceedings would appear to have been regarded by the operator as most important, for he stood by the side of the corpse for nearly ten minutes, looking upon it in breathless attention. The first impression would be that he expected the corpse to speak. Presently he took up one ofits hands and examined it. Then, as if in the greatest triumph, he held it up, with a quiet chuckle. His action would have given one the notion of a successful trickster exulting before a large audience in the success of a feat of legerdemain. But this time the certainty was one remarkable fact in connection with the cold still corpse of Lotty Chep- stow. The hands were tightly clenched. Clenched like the hands of one in a strong fainting fit. The nails were dug into the palms. What could this singular phenomenon imply ? Had the drugs which the necromancer adminstered to the corpse produced the effect of galvanism upon it? Now the Arab simply proceeded to act with the corpse as if it were the ill-fated Lotty Chepstow in life and only fainting. His first great care was to wrench open her clenched hands. This accomplished, he patted them tenderly, but with much zeal and perseverance, and then placed physician sounding a KA KOSH 18] a large glass stopper out of a coloured bottle in oe so that the hands could not again clench over hem. Then a bottle of sal volatile was held to the nostrils. Now, by all that is marvellous, the eyes of the corpse twitch nervously. Is it merely a delusion, or do they indeed move ? Vinegar is next resorted to, and the whole face and the temples are bathed copiously with it. Some three hours have now elapsed since Resur- rection Joe and Snatchem brought the body from the cold grave to the necromancer’s house. Sull the Arab perseveres with untiring energy in his task. Does not the reader already divine his object ? The vinegar seems to have operated more power- fully than all else. Not so. It is merely the concluding portion of a dangerous and lengthy experiment. Drugs, potent and marvellous in their efficacy, have been already administered by the Arab, and the vine- gar greatly aids their operation. However, it gets all the credit of the good work, as the completer of a useful invention often derives more credit than its father. The bosom, fair and white as marble, of the corpse rises. A heavy deep-drawn sigh comes from the lips. , Then the eyes of the seeming corpse—the corpse no more—open wearily. It is an enormous effort apparently, and many con- trary influences must be at work in her system to produce this curiouseffect. A will more powerful than her own would appear to be within her to force them open, whilst some strong opiate keeps them closed. “EUREKA!” ejaculated the necromancer in ex- travagant joy. , But Lotty Chepstow’s hearing would not appear t be so acute as heretofore. Although the necromancer had spoken in a loud voice, she took no notice whatever of the sound. Stifl she lay, with her eyes—dull and leaden-look- ing yet—fixed upon vacancy. The attentions of the Arab never once ceased, never flagged. He still kept to his task with the same untiring perseverance. At length his efforts were rewarded with another SUCCESS. Lotty Chepstow moved her head towards him and looked into his face. ** At last, at last !’’ said Mermet. She sighed again. ** Lotty,”’ said the Arab. She looked up. **Lotty, Lotty, how do you feel ? Speak, answer me.” She sighed heavily, and then spoke a few indistinct words. ‘** Lotty, Lotty, what is it. Speak again.” And he leant down his ear to her lips to catcli what she said. ‘IT am better.” It was so low, so faint, that he could barely catch it even then. ‘ Better??? She looked an affirmative. *“ Do you feel cold yet ?” mV Ss,: “Can you move?” A pause, during which she evidently essayed to move, but was powerless, and she replied in the negative. ‘* All in good time,’’ said Mermet. Now by the change in her countenance it was Are you well ? Seon