Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

70 turns using the pick and his hands, cleared away all obstructions in a few minutes. When he had done Clara leaned forward, and pressed heavily upon a spring which had been hidden from her companion, and protected from injury by a projecting iron ledge of enormous strength. The door, responsive to the pressure, opened slowly inwards. “Now follow me just within this archway,’’ she said. “‘ Yes, madam.”’ ‘* That is all I require at present.” ‘¢ Yes, madam.”’ ** You will remain here until I return ?” Wes: ** And keep watch.” “And you, madam ?”’ ‘** Will go down the subterranean passage.”’ *¢ Alone ?”’ “Yes. I require no assistance.”’ No more was said on either side. Edgar Deville kept guard, and the other proceeded silently down the passage. She knew the way well enough. It was by the same route by which she had taken her victim to the hiding-place of the jewels. Passing through several doors, she atlength reached the vault. She entered it in a death-like silence. Then raised her lantern, and gazed upon the terrible spectacle before her. A glittering corpse was there, bowed over the iron box. Diamonds glittered on a brow black. and convulsed. Emeralds glimmered on stained shrunken arms, that looked more like dry bones than human flesh. Her great eyes, once so beautiful, were now too horrible to look upon. How long had the miserable creature fought against death, standing there in utter darkness, thus buried alive ? It required hut a glance upon the hideous ghastly countenance, and the emaciated limbs, to see what horrible tortures, mental and physical, the victim had endured. Carelessly, though, did the hard-hearted woman regard her. ; She approached the corpse without a shudder, and began to rob it of its jewels. ‘“‘T should not have lent them to her so long,” muttered the fiend, ‘‘ unless I had known that the vault was air-tight, and that they were quite safe. Still there was a certain amount of risk, and I would not have run it, but revenge was so sweet, and I could not resist gratifying my deadly vengeance upon her.” While thus she spoke Clara was busily engaged in collecting together the glittering gems which had proved so fatal to the poor wretch who had coveted them. They made a large parcel, and it was with great difficulty that she could contrive it so that the silk handkerchief she had brought with her for the pur- pose should contain them all. Having, however, got them into it at last, and knotted them up to her satisfaction, she retraced her steps, closing the doors behind her as she went. She found Edgar Deville leaning against the wall of the passage. She turned the lantern full upon his face. ‘Hullo !” said he, yawning and blinking. “ Were you asleep 2” ‘* Pretty nearly.” “You call that keeping watch, I suppose 2” ‘‘T kept it as long as I could, but you were such a deuce of a while. I began to think—” ROSE. MORTIMER ; OR, ** Well?” ‘* That you were buried alive.” A strange smile passed over Clara’s face, an awful smile, full of terrible meaning. ‘* No,’ she said. ‘‘ Not yet.” Then, after a pause of a moment, she added— ‘“Come along. We have no time to waste. must be going.’’ He followed her without a word, and she closed the door after him. ‘*Look,’’ she said. ‘* See what?” ‘The door we have come out of ?” Edgar stooped down to examine it. “T can’t see a sign of a door,” he replied. ‘I never should have done if you had not pointed it out in the first instance.” ‘*That will do. Now come away.’ We ‘Can you see it?” * * A ship, an emigrant vessel, a week after these events was on her way across the Atlantic. It was night. The greater part of the crew and passengers were asleep. - Two among the latter, however, might have been seen walking together, and engaged in close conversa- tion. One was a lady, the other a gentleman. ‘Yes, Edgar,’ the lady said, ‘‘ the time will soon arrive when I Shall be able to reveal to you all the ~ mystery of my life. I will have no secrets from you, for our lives are henceforth bound up one with another. 1 am rich, as you know. We have money enough to live in ease and plenty all the rest of our lives, and I could be happy if I but thought that you spoke the truth.’’ ‘*As Heaven is my witness, Clara, I do. my heart, I love you.”’ While the passengers still slept there suddenly arose an awful cry, which echoed,fearfully on the still night air. ** Fire! fire !?’ Edgar Deville, rushing from the lower deck, found a dense smoke issuing from the lower hatchway over the hold. Again the fearful cry arose. Then the passengers awoke from their sleep, and all was terror and confusion. During the night the wind had been steadily in- creasing in violence, and now blew a hurricane. The sea ran mountains high. All above was black and starless. The roaring rushing wind came thick and heavy with the driving brine. The suffocating smoke grew denser and denser. The shrieks of the women and children were horrible to listen to. The whole poop was now blazing, and the flames encircled the mainmast. The bright light from the burning vessel cast a crimson hue upon the angry waves, which raged and foamed around, The captain, the first mate, and the other officers, had as soon as possible got the pumps to work, but they were not in very good order, and the flames steadily gained headway. Although the pumps were worked with unflinching perseverance, the raging element could not be kept under. The centre part of the deck was all in flames. The crew and those helping them were driven to the stern of the vessel. The hatches had to be closed in consequence of the sea washing into them, but those below, terrified by the smoke and heat, rushed on deck, and were driven back shrieking by the flames. With all