Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 83: what you’re looking at

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

THE BALLET-GIBL’S REVENGE, 77 es All was dark as before. “Curse the thing!” growled, the miner releasing Rose Mortimer. Our heroine sprang off, with a cry of delight. ““ Come baek !”’ cried the man. “© Never !” “You won't? Then by I’m after you.” Like a startled fawn Rose sped on in the darkness. Tripping silently as possible, too, that her pursuer might have no clue. She could hear him close behind. Blurting out volleys of oaths he ran on. Suddenly she could hear that he had sliped and fallen to the ground. ““Ah!”? he cried, with a wild yell of agony, “ the it! 1’m lost!” Then all was still once more! CHAPTER XXXIV. PENRYTH—A FEARFUL STRIFE—HORRORS AC- CUMULATE—THE DANGER MINE EARNS ITS TITLE. For some minutes the fearful silence prevailed. Rose never moved. She stood upon the spot frozen with horror. Then, with a shudder, she turned her eyes from the direction in which the sound had proceeded. Suddenly she fancied that her ear caught the sound of some machinery at work. The grating of a wheel long out of use. She looked around her in wonder. A second light appeared. This time high aloft. By its stronger rays she could perceive that it pro- ceeded from a large lantern, held by a man who was descending into the mine by the aid of a rope. As he neared the ground she thought that she recognised in the faint outline a familiar form. And now he had reached the ground. Then he held up the lantern, and looked about him in anxious search. A half-stifled cry rose to the girl’s lips as she re- cognised in the newcomer the man whose hut she had entered to claim refuge for the night—the man whom she had seen a second time under such fearful circumstances — the murderer of Miles Trunnion. It was Penryth! ** Hullo!” cried the miner. cpme from, eh 2” - Rose Mortimer was silent. After listening intently a while for further sounds Penryth advanced in the direction of Rose. It was a trying moment for the poor girl. She dared not move, lest she should put him upon her track. And yet to wait there appeared to be waiting patiently a fate more horrible than death itself. The miner was now close to her. ' She dared not breathe. felt would be fatal. On came the miner—perfectly visible to Rose Mor- timer, although our heroine was unseen by him. Waving his arms around him to their full extent just as he arrived by the side of the shrinking girl, he chanced to touch the edge of her dress. ‘Ha, ha!” cried the miner, ‘‘ I have you now, my lass, 1 think !” He grabbed at her. Caught her by the arm. But his hold was too slight, and she slipped through his fingers, and darted off witha bound. ‘‘ Curse the gal!” roared Penryth. ‘ She’s as slip- pery as an eel.” hen, with an oath, he darted after her. “‘ Where did that cry The faintest sound she Fear for a while lent poor Rose Mortimer Wings, and she contrived for some time to elude him. Then, growing fatigued with the severe exertions of the day, the suffering she had endured at the hands of the women, and finally the long immersion in the river, she sank upon the ground overcome. Her only remaining hope now was that in the im- mense dark space she might by accident elude the vigilance of the miner. Panting and wearied, she lay upon the cold hard ground. Resting upon one hand, she followed with feverish eagerness the direction of that will-o’-the-wisp-looking lantern which the miner held. S It grew fainter at one time, and Rose began to hope that he was quite out in his calculation. Vain hope! . _The next minute the light advanced rapidly in the direction which she had taken. Now it was quite close to her. ‘She can’t be far off from here,’ muttered Pen- ryth, as he advanced. “She surely took this way. Confound the baggage, she’s as artful as sin!” He waved round the light once more. Then stood still, the light resting full upon her pale face. ‘Ha, ha!” cried the miner, darting upon her. “ So, so, I’ve got you once more, have I ?” “Oh! have pity!” - o> L will’ ‘IT am so exhausted with fatigue and long suffering that I shall die.’’ ‘‘ Nonsense, my gal. Why should you die?) Who’s going to kill you, eh?” He endeavoured to raise her from the ground, but she resisted him stoutly. However, her puny strength could avail her nothing against the brutal force of the giant miner. He took her up in his arms. ** Come on with me, my dear.’’ ‘‘ Whither would you take me?’ demanded the unhappy girl in tears. ‘“* Only up again, my lass, out to breathe the fresh air. We-stifle here.”’ “Oh! thanks!” ‘* I thought you’d like that, my lass, eh ?”’ said Pen- ryth coaxingly. ‘*T should indeed.” ** Of course.” ‘¢ But I can walk.” ** No you can’t.” *¢ T can, indeed.” ‘Then you shan’t.” Rose Mortimer was silent. To say more she felt would be toincur the further enmity of her brutal captor. And already she had experienced enough violence. ‘* What a delicious little morsel it is !’’ said the miner, hugging her closely. “Let me go.’’ ‘*No I shan’t,’? returned Peuryth. enough of that before.” ** But I’ll not attempt again to—”’ ‘To what? No, of course you won’t.’’ ‘* No, indeed.”’ ‘“ Because I shan’t let you.” His caresses now grew alarming, and Rose shrieked for mercy. ‘What a little fool it is !”’ said the miner angrily. “ D’ye think I want to eat you, eh?”’ ‘“ No, but—” ‘¢Then keep quiet, will you 2?” But his conduct was not such as to inspire her with confidence, and she screamed in terror. ‘Ah! ery away, my gal. No one can hear you here. I suppose that he is gone away, eh ?” “T’ve had