Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 188: what you’re looking at

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

ROSE MORTIMER 5 OR, evident that she had began to wonder where she had come from. Clearly she had no idea of the terrible truth. ‘¢ Where am I ?”? she asked. ** In my house,” replied Mermet. This appeared to afford her poor consolation, how- ever. Indeed, so much was expressed in her face. **Do you not remember me, Lotty?’? demanded the necromancer. ‘‘ Mermet—you know Mermet the Arab, who loves you so well.” “ah!” And then the light of intelligence shone in her face. By degrees she remembered all. Unhappy Lotty ! How gladly would she have accepted oblivion of a portion of her bygone history which had caused her so much uneasiness, so much misery ! “*T cannot remember the last few days,’’ she. said. “Have I been ill?” “You have.”’ “TI thought so.” ** Do you not remember the poison ?2”’ “‘ Ah! merciful powers protect me ! mean by that?” ** That you have been dead !”’ **Oh! no, no, no.” “Nay more, you have been—”’ Here he pointed mysteriously downwards with his forefinger. A light of the fearful truth burst in upon the un- happy girl. ** You mean—”’ *¢ The tomb !” A wild shriek escaped her, A wild unearthly cry, that rang alarmingly through the house. “= Tush t7 “Oh! say not the tomb—the grave!’ “It is true. But why repine now over a fancied horror, and which is past ?” “Oh! it is too horrible,” said the girl, with a fear- ful shudder. “* Nay,” said the necromancer, ‘‘ rather look upon it in comfort.”’ ** Comfort?” : ¢ Ay.” ‘“* How comfort ?” ‘You have purged away the sin, if ever it rested on you.’’ . ‘ Would I could think so ?” “You may. Morally you are free from the slightest taint now.”’ ** But legally ?” The necromancer looked rather dubious upon this head. In fact, his serious expression was considerably more marked than it need have been. The girl shuddered. ‘Fear nothing whilst you remain with me,’’ said the necromancer. ‘* But after 2”’ “* After ?”’? repeated Mermet. after.” “Wat? “I say there will be no after. with me.”’ “¢ What do you mean?” “I mean, girl,” said the Arab “ that you are mine for life. I have plucked you from the graye—taken you a cold clay corpse from the bowels of the earth— and breathed the breath of life into your nostrils. You are mine, MINE !”’ He spoke so vehemently that the girl was quite startled. ‘‘Oh! pray don’t talk thus to me,’ sl. said im- What do you “ There will be no You will remain ploringly. ‘* You fillme with fear. cold to my very feet.’’ Fearful of stopping the circulation of the blood at such a critical moment, the Arab immediately modified his tone. “Nay,” he said. ‘‘I would not unnecessarily alarm you, but would impress upon you how fully, how justly you are mine.’’ ** Justly yours?’ “‘ Ay, justly mine, because I have giyen life to your dead form,” replied the Arab. “* And then ?”’ “IT retain every power over you.”’ ‘*Never. Think you I will submit to it ?” * Submit?” echoed the necromancer mockingly. “Submit, foolish girl? Know that the same power which gave you life can take it from you again.” “é Ah 129 ‘Fear nothing. I donot mean to slay you. But this same power can likewise force your. submission.’’ *¢ But you would not 2”’ “Right, I would not. You have but to swear truth and loyalty to me and you shall haye no cause to complain.”’ ** How if I refuse ?”’ ‘Then to what purpose ? You cannot seek the world again.”’ ** Why not ?”’ ** Lotty Chepstow is dead.”’ * But my identity may be established.” “True. But to what end, pray?’ ** Restoration to my home—to my friends and kindred.” ‘* Restoration to the gallows., But no, no. You shall not either return to the cold unfeeling world nor to your friends.”’ **Oh! be merciful.”’ ‘‘Tam. I would not let you suffer the pang of I shiver and turn ‘being cast off by those who would not recognise you. If youannounce yourself you denounce yourself also. And if gratitude will not force acceptance of the home of freedom and of safety which I offer you, something else shall.’ 6° What ?? “* My power.” The strange sepulchral scene, tone, and associations could not fail to impress the poor girl with awe and superstition. She could reply no further. She cowered before the necromancer in fear. ‘‘ Come, come,” said Mermet, ‘‘ be happy. I don’t wish to make you ill at ease. On the contrary, I would comfort you.”’ ** What do you want of me?” demanded the girl in a trembling tone. ‘“* Fear not. I shall ask nothing of you that you cannot readily grant.” “‘ Be merciful to me, as you hope for mercy your- sell,’’ said Lotty. This.was evidently thrown out as a feeler. She had her doubts as to whether he was not some- thing superhuman. He saw this clearly enough, and he did not fail to enlarge upon it. Her fears were as clearly delineated in the expres- sion she wore as if they had been put into words. Mermet saw, too, that the accomplishment of his designs with her was the more readily to be arrived at by fostering this belief, and he replied to her ap- peal in such a tone as did not fail to strength it. “‘ How should I hope for mercy ?”’ was his response. The girl shuddered. This was a fearful confirmation of her fears. ‘* What do you wish me to do?” she asked again, as a final resort. CoOnmicooolkxs