Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 61: what you’re looking at

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In vain she mangled her little hands. In vain she turned her great tigerlike eyes towards the door. In another moment her shrieks rang with a muffled sound, for the avenger had closed the door again. She was in darkness. She was left there helpless—left thus manacled to wait for death. Oh! horrible doom! Oh! pitiless monster, to go smiling back to her hus- band, and say that his fair mistress has gone home with her jewels, and sent her love to him! . “ What do you mean ?”’’ said the count. has become of her ?’’ ‘¢ What I say.” ‘¢ And she is gone ?”’ e872 “‘ Where ?”’ ““ Home.” ‘‘ Home? that is strange.’’ And he rose and moved to the door, She saw him go with a smile. She listened and heard the street door close. Then she hastily put on a cloak and bonnet, and stealthily left the house. ‘6 What CHAPTER XXII. THE MYSTERIES EXPLAINED. A DARK history was that of the wedded life of the successftl swindler calling himself Count Lerno and the ballet-dancer calling herself Clara St. John, but in reality being his wedded wife—the wife of Pierre Duval, the escaped galley-slave. Through many lands had they travelled together. Many daring frauds and artful robberies had they committed. Much gold had they pocketed as the profits of their multitudinous rogueries. It would be difficult to say which first had helped him on his way through life, his own smooth lying tongue, or his wife’s ready wit and pretty face. He was scoundrel enough to trade with her beauty, and perhaps did, He sprang up suddenly a fashionable gentleman living in great style in Rome. He was not Count Lerno then, but enjoyed some other title as euphonious, and to which he had quite as much right. He came with letters of introduction from the first society at Naples, and he was soon one of the lions of the Holy City. His wife was one of the reigning beauties. After a while he suddenly disappeared. Nothing was said against him. No scandal was attached to his name. Some extensive forgeries had been perpetrated successively, and the forgers had baffled all attempts to discover them. There was not the faintest connection established between their crime and the sudden disappearance of the handsome nobleman. Very soon after that a fashionable gentleman and his handsome wife made their appearance at St. Petersburg, and soon became extensively popular. Some unknown persons committed large frauds just about the same time in that city. It was so again at Strasbourg, at Nice, at Paris, at New York. Disappearing suddenly from each, there arises almost always immediately after they are gonea great cry, and agreat, but unavailing, search. — Awful thefts have been committed. THE BALLET-GIRL’S REVENGE. a ee eC ‘ays) Se SS a eee Daring forgeries, extraordinary burglaries, villanies of all kinds, but the thieves nowhere to be found. In course of time London is honoured by the pre- sence of a distinguished foreigner, Count Lerno. He gives choice little parties, as we have seen, He is said to be a bachelor and a roue, Through his instrumentality a young and lovely lady makes her début as premier danseuse at the Babylonian Theatre. She is very beautiful, very graceful, an exquisite dancer. Lords and commoners fall madly in love with her. Noblemen lay their hearts and fortunes at her feet. But she turned away from them in scorn, and they eyed the count with jealous anger, for the beautiful dancer smiled upon him—so the gossips of the green- room intimated. The count, however, as has been said, bore the repu- tation of being a 7owe, areputation which he certainly did his best to maintain. Strange was it, then, that the beautiful Clara was not at all jealous. Whispers went abroad concerning his intrigue with the beautiful Nina Lafleur, who committed suicide by blowing out her brains in the green-room of the Baby- lonian Theatre. There are always evil tongues, and there were not wanting among Clara’s enemies some who hinted darkly at murder. The alleged motive was jealousy. Still it was not believed. } A jury came to a different opinion, and after tho orthodox nine days’ wonder the affair was forgotten. About the ninth day, too, there was something else to talk about. There was another suicide. This time a rich young lady, the heiress. to a great property, committed suicide in a little wood, about twenty miles in a south-westerly direetion from London. She, also, was shot by a pistol. There was a very great difference between the spheres in which the dead women had moved, and yet they were in some way remotely connected. The name of the same man was brought into ques- tion upon each occasion. It was a name which, previous to the first nine days’ wonder alluded to, had been occupying a good deal of public attention. It was the name of a young man of fashion, a rather profligate and extravagant young man, very deep in the Jews’ books, who had suddenly and mys- teriously disappeared. He was called Edgar Deville, and was a friend of Count Lerno. Some said he had run away with a certain lady of fashion who at that time happened to be suddenly missing, and it was through jealousy that Nina Lafleur committed suicide. Others again. said he had run away from his creditors. But when the second lady died he might have come back, for he was the next of kin, and her estates at her death became his. It was said that Edgar was in love with a ballet- girl at the Babylonian, and had offered her marriage, though he was very poor to marry. But, now he was again a man of property, why did not he return to London? Whatever his reason might be, he certainly did not come back, or make any sign, although he was adver- tised for in every London paper, and detective officers were employed to search for him. At last there was a very general impression that he was dead, and the next of kin began to congratulate himself upon his good fortune. SSeS COMIC