Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 58: what you’re looking at

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

52 ee x Limmmmiconnsnn nus eae RONDA Accompany us, therefore, to a magnificent drawing- room in a handsome house in Park Lane. Two persons are present. They are the Count Lerno and Clara St. John. It is night, and a fortnight after the events which are recorded in the last chapter. The count was evidently in a rage. usual, cold and sarcastic. She was lolling negligently upon a sofa. He pacing the room with angry strides. Suddenly he paused before her. ‘¢ Clara,” he exclaimed fiercely, ‘‘ I will be obeyed. So come, now, no more nonsense. Those jéwels I will and must have.”’ ‘Find them and take them,’’ she replied rising. ‘“‘ Give them to you I will not.” ‘© Will not? Do you think to play with me ? forget who I am to whom you refuse obedience.” ““T know well enough—to Pierre Duval, the forger and escaped convict, the rich man about town, the lucky gambler, the undetected swindler, and my—my husband, alas for me !”’ As she answered thus in a bold passionate voice, Clara sat with folded arms looking up into the count’s fierce white face. ‘Lucky gambler, fool?’’ he exclaimed, starting up and clasping her fair white shoulder roughly with his heavy hand. “I tell you, woman, my luck has gone, my skill has failed me, I have lost all I had this very night, and as for the coining, you know that every channel for passing the money has been suddenly closed. I have lost my credit, my honour, my name— nay, my life too for aught I know. They are after me this minute.”’ The woman laughed a terrible laugh to come from such crimson lips. ““The old story,’’? she sneered, moving away, and going towards the door. ‘* You need not have dis- turbed me at such an hour to repeat the same old old tale.” ' Clara, I swear to you it is true,”’ he shouted. And rushing after her, he seized her arm and swung her round, dashing her head with such violence that she staggered and almost fell. ““ T have lost every farthing I have, I tell you, and have given the Marquis of Brighton my bill for five hundred, which if I cannot take up to-morrow my credit is irretrievably gone. Ifyou care nothing for me, think of your own interest, and do not let a paltry consideration of these few jewels stand between you and thousands perhaps.”’ *‘ Perhaps,” she sneered. As he spoke the count stooped his ashy white face and tried to look into his wife’s eyes. But there was no tenderness in the act. Even as he did so his lips quivered with fierce anger. ‘“Duval,’”? answered the calm beautiful woman, showing nothing of the rage within her, ‘‘ from the moment that you brought me to your house as your wretched wife you have lied to me. Why should I believe you now 2” And she looked him full in the face. ‘“T cannot,” sbe continued, a moment afterwards, turning away with disdain. ‘‘ No, I cannot believe you. Idonot. Your whole life with me has been but one lie, and by your former life I judge you.” ‘‘Then you refuse the diamonds ?”’ FL de ‘You abandon me to my fate?” ~ She shrugged her shoulders mechanically in reply. For a few moments there was utter stillness in the room, You might almost have heard the soft heaving of the white bosom under the silken covering as calmly as if jealousy, passion, anger, and revenge were un- known to it. The lady, as You eee ne CQMICHOO ROSE MORTIMER ; OR, Clara sat silently regarding the fire. The count leaned against the mantelpiece, his dark eyes fixed with sullen ferocity on his wife’s face. It was the lull before the storm, Suddenly the count started up. Then springing upon the fragile woman, as a tiger on its prey, he put both hands on her shoulders, bend- ing her down under his weight. ‘“You have hated me and rebelled against me long enough.”’ He pressed his face close to hers. ‘< Listen to me, woman. I will search for the dia- monds, as, you tell me, and if I find them nof, look to yourself; for I swear it shall be the worse for you!” She made no answer. ‘“T have lied to you, have 1?’’ he continued angrily. ‘This shall be the first example of the truthfulness Pierre Duval gives to you. Beware of tit?) Then he strode from the room, and, as she turned haughtily to look alter him, she heard the door locked on the outside. Even then her calmness did not desert her. Her fair face became a shade paler, and she pressed her beautiful lips tightly together. She knew well enough what manner of man Pierre Duval was, but even then her proud heart disdained to fear. “Search,” she muttered, with a scornful smilo— ‘© Search, my loving husband, but you’ll not find. Your wife’s jewels shall never deck the person of her infamous rival. No, no. I have already cleared from my path two women who stood in my way, but not through any jealousy. If, however, it is for her—” She was silent, and her brow grew threateningly dark. It was long after midnight. The fair young face grew very pale as she sat there counting the minutes, and listening for the returning footsteps of her husband. She was not afraid, but she was very white, and still, and anxious. Suddenly a stealthy foot crept along the passage outside the door, nearest to her sofa. A voice muttered softly— ** Madam the countess.’ Then the footsteps retreated more quickly than they had come. : Somewnat startled, Clara rose from her seat, and hurriedly picked up a packet, which contained a key and a few words :— 4 ‘¢ For Heaven’s sake be on your guard. Give up the jewels without a struggle. The count is desperate, and the ‘ Beautiful Fiend’ is urging him on!” The blood rushed to her face as she read. She looked round on the large handsome room, where not a sound reached her. What means of defence did it offer ? There were few servants in the house, and those all females. Even could she rouse them, would they be able to protect her from danger ? She placed her hand upon her heart, and, even in her fear, she smiled scornfully to herself to find that it throbbed so. : “Give up the jewels?” she murmured. ‘ Give them up to that wretch? Never, never! come what may.” Again she looked at the paper, and now, for the first time, it struck her that there was something strange in being warned in such a manner. At first she had fancied it was her lady’s maid, but a second glance convinced her that such was not the case.