Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

ROSE MORTIMER anticipation of a continuation of the torture feast upon the unhappy victim of their fury. A wild “ Amen!” burst from the strange unearthly- looking throng. And Rose Mortimer was dragged off in the direction of a river, which she could already see at no great dis- tance. Arrived upon the banks of the river, Mistress Madge, who had now elected herself executioner of the ven- geance of the mob, began to pinion Rose’s arms behind her. ‘‘Oh! if you have any humanity in you,’’ cried the unhappy girl, ‘‘if you have a child of your own, if you have ever had one, I beseech you to have mercy !”” “ But I haven’t !”’ And the old hag grinned in a diabolical manner, as if she had uttered a profound witticism. ‘‘Then I conjure you,’ continued Rose Mortimer, ‘by the memory of your former life—you were once young, and—” “Once 2” ‘ Ay; therefore—”’ s* Silence !” And by way of vengeance for what she deemed an insult to her juvenility and attractions, the old hag gave poor Rose’s wrists such a tug with the cords with which she was fastening her that the unhappy victim could not repress a loud wail of agony. “‘ Music!’’ cried Mistress Madge, in an ecstacy of delight. ‘“‘ Look alive, Madge !” “‘ Ay, ay ; you’re spoiling sport,” said another. ‘¢ She’s having it all to herself,’ said a third. And the whole of the humane congregation began to yell like a lot of savage hungry wolyes at the sight of some delicate morsel in the way of a kid ora young baby. Even Mistress Madge’s tortures conld not endure for ever, and at length the operation of fastening the doomed girl was completed. ‘‘Help! help! oh, help!’ shrieked the unhappy Rose in a frenzy of terror, as the awful moment drew nearer. ‘Hat hal hate? ‘In with her !”’ “ One, two, three !” “‘ Heaven have mercy upon me !”’ cried Rose, almost resigning herself now. ‘¢ Now then !” Two of the women—one of whom was old Mistress Madge—raised the helpless body of the half senseless victim in their arms. Swung it high in the air. Cast it far away into the river. Down, down, it sank with a fatal splash. The waters closed over it, and in an instant ap- peared to regain their former tranquillity, as if they were anxious that all traces of the fiend-like cruelty should be cleared away with the execution of the deed of violence. ‘Down she goes !”’ cried Madge. *¢ Ay, she sinks.”’ “*T can see herstill. There, now she’s lost.”’ *¢ What a feed for the fishes !” This pleasantry created an immense amount of laughter and jocularity, and the gang of wretched women moved off. One thing they resolved upon, however. The murdered girl was no witch. No matter, she had slain Miles Trunnion, and an eye for an eye had been taken, Poor Rose Mortimer ! CHAPTER XXXI. THE HAGS DEPART—THE TREE BY THE RIVER—A BOLD SWIMMER--A RESCUE—FAILURE—TO IT AGAIN—THE SWIMMER USED UP, THE gang of hags cleared off, with shouts of triumph for the fearful vengeance which they had taken upon the helpless girl. Vengeance taken, and for what? Simply because they had discovered the poor gir] near the bloody corse of a rufian miner, who had been slain by a brother villain more rascally and un- scrupulous than himself, if possible. And the momentarily distended waters of that peaceful little rivulet closed over the now inanimate body of our heroine. The women who had destroyed the innocent girl had barely cleared off when from the branch of a large spreading tree which overhung the water the body of a tall stalwart fellow appeared. A jacket was cast off and thrown to the ground, Then a motley-colonred neckcloth. . Then a huge body dived through the air and plunged headfirst into the water. Apparently this man was an experienced diver, for he cut through the water without the faintest splash, It was a prodigious dive! Down, down he went to a very great depth with outstretched hands. Straight as a die he made the plunge for the sunken body of Rose Mortimer. A terrible time did he appear to be under water, and had any one been present he must have con- cluded that the bold diver had perished for his temerity. : But no! No matter the cause of such bravery, the bold- ness with which the object was carried deserved success. Presently there was a faint movement perceptible just below the surface of the water. y Gradually it grew plainer. Then might be distinctly made out the outlines of two bodies. One was that of the bold and fearless diver. The other that of the inanimate girl, which he grasped around the waist with his left arm. With his disengaged arm he made desperate efforts to swim to the surface. The weight was great, however, to his well-nigh used up force, and his progress was but slow. | Most painfully did the sturdy fellow labour on the self-allotted task. Still he would not resign his hold upon the body. No, sooner would he perish with her, after having with so much pain and exertion dragged her from the river’s bed. And now the right hand of the swimmer appeared above the surface of the water. Another stroke, and he breathed the fresh air of heaven. Oh! what gratitude was expressed on that counte- nance then. It was a rough unintellectual face—devoid of wit— but full of cunning on an ordinary occasion. But the expression it wore rendered it almost sub- ime. He breathed painfully, and rested a while by pad- dling gently about. 3 And every moment the weight of the rescued girl grew a more fatal burden to her preserver. Danger stared him in the face. Ball he boldly kept his hold upon the senseless girl, <SrGcom