Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

THE BALLET-GIRL’S REVENGE. 15 a eee erence a nn ee ee Oe ee eT Be Se ‘Nay, Miss Mortimer, let me first offer you some refreshment.” “| _ S wae ‘* Nothing, nothing ! ”? she cried impatiently. _ “You must be fatigued after your evening’s exer- tions. Let me beg of you to rest before you seek your father.’’ “*€No,no! Tell me where he is and let me go to him.” % ** Presently.”’ “At once!” she cried firmly. ‘I will not delay.” ** To-morrow will be time enough.” | “* To-morrow ? ”’ “Yes; you will be stronger and more refreshed.”’ Rose was terribly alarmed. Jack Halliday’s warning seemed to ring in her ears, and she bitterly repented of having left the theatre in the company of the count. 3 “J insist that you take me to my father—if he be in the house.”’ “a Which he is not,’’ replied the count coolly. “‘ Then you have deceived me.”’ ‘* Yes,” he answered, smoothing his moustache. ** Where am I, then?” she cried wildly. “‘ Whose house is this ?” *¢ Mine.” With a convulsive sob, which seemed to shake her whole frame, she buried her face in her hands and wept. *“Yes, dearest,’ said the count, “‘I am master of this house, and you shall be its lovely mistress.”’ ‘* Never, never ! ”’ , “Tf I have erred,” continued he, heedless of the in- terruption, ‘‘ attribute it only to my love; if I have deceived you in bringing you here, still love must plead my excuse. Do not turn your beautiful eyes away from me. Pardon me the trick I haye played upon you, and say you will be mine.’’ ** Count Lerno,”’ said Rose, drawing herself up to her full height—“‘ Count Lerno, sooner than agree to your degrading proposals I would kill myself. Do you suppose that there is nothing dearer toa woman than gold and jewels? I scorn and despise you.’’ ** Nay, pretty one, why so angry? Remember you are now completely in my power,” and here he showed his white teeth, ‘‘and that I have means to compel your compliance.”’ * Neyer!” But the count took herin his arms and, without paying any attention to her struggles or cries for help, bore her easily upstairs to an elegantly furnished apartment. Here, when he loosened his hold of her, she ran from him terrified, and, tremblingly clinging to the opposite wall, waited with blanched cheek and flash- ing eyes for a renewal of his violence. But he only gazed at her for a moment with the same devilish smile, and then, turning upon his heel, left the room, and closed and locked the door behind him. She stood motionless, listening to his retreating footsteps, and then gazed wildly around her. Alamp hanging from the ceiling cast a dim sub- dued light upon the objects which the room contained — heavy old-fashioned furniture, surrounded by oak panellings quaintly carved. Still as death she stood, her hand pressed upon her heart, her head gently bowed, listening to the sound of his steps until it died away altogether ; then, looking about hurriedly to the right and left, with something of the action of a hunted stag when the bay of the hounds is swelling upon the air, she sought for some way of escape. hat there was no time to lose she felt certain, for, whatever motive at the present moment occa- sioned her jailor’s absence, his return would be speedy. Her only hope of evading him, then, lay in prompt and energetic action. | She must be bold and resolute—dare all or lose all. With this idea she advanced rapidly towards the window and endeavoured to raise the sash. It was leavy and swollen with the rain, and stuck fast in its frame; but fear lent her strength, and she struggled desperately to effect her purpose. At length it was forced upwards, and she gazed, with a fast-beating heart, into the intense ‘darkness below. She could form no notion of how far she was from the ground, but surely death were preferable to the hideous fate in store for her did she remain longer inthe mercy of the miscreant. Leaving the window, however, for a moment, she cast a despaiting glance uround, in the hope of seeing something that might assist her, and merciful Heaven directed her attention to a poignard which, among other ornaments, hung by the side of the mantel- piece. She sprang towards the weapon, drew it from its sheath, and, without a moment’s hesitation, busied herself in slashing down the damask window-curtains. With nervously-twitching but agile fingers, Rose ripped the tough fabric in twain and fashioned it into a rope, which she rapidly but firmly secured to a heavy piece of furniture standing close to the window. Scarcely had she completed her task before she heard a movement in the house, as though steps were approaching the door. In speechless terror she paused to listen, and, feel- ing felt certain that she was not deceived, clambered lightly through the window, clutched the rope, and glided rapidly to the earth. Trusting to Providence that she might choose the right direction, she rushed from the spot, forcing her way through a dense growth of rank weeds and straggling brushwood, which formed a sort of hedge dividing the garden from a field beyond. Heedless of the difficulties in her way, she rushed wildly onwards, and paused only when, breathless and half fainting, she reached a fence separating the field from the highroad. Afar off in the distance she could could see lights flashing fitfully to and fro, and could hear the sound of men’s voices calling to one another. Summoning all the strength that yet remained to her, Rose clambered to the top of the fence, dropped down into the road, and then ran on again. A wild open country surrounded her on all sides, without a sign of human habitation, for she was at that part of Fulham, lying west of Walham Green, known by the name of ‘‘ Dead Man’s Land.”’ Ignorant whither her steps were taking her, she ran. on and on, down long interminable lanes, until, prostrated by fatigue, she sank in an almost lifeless state upon the ground by the road side Fortune, however, did not now befriend her as it had done when she made her escape from her clerical assailant at her father’s house, by sending honest Jack Halliday to her aid. When she again opened her eyes she was shivering with cold and wet to the skin from the heavily fallin rain, and the road was still dark and lonely. __. Rising to her feet, she staggered onwards as well — as her trembling limbs would allow. Suddenly, in front, she saw a faint glimmering through the window-blind of a mean-luoking house. The sight lent her fresh strength, and she now pro- ceeded at amore rapid pace. As she approached it, however, a strange moaning sound struck upon her ear and caused her to look around in painful suspense, . What had alarmed her, though, she found to be the river running rapidly past the weedy rush-grown bank, where stood the house in question. SOMMIGDOOI<S: (C@