Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 92: what you’re looking at

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

86 ROSE MORTIMER ; OR, A third body was brought forth! This was that of a girl! Rose Mortimer, pale and ghastly, was laid beside the two miners—the two sufferers who had caused her so much anguish. The women crowded eagerly around, and tendered their assistance. Presently one cried out that she still breathed. “* See, see, she moves!”’ ‘Let me approach,’ said a gentleman in a plain black suit, who had that moment arrived upon the scene. +f ‘The doctor. ” “Make way.’’ “* Make way—way for the doctor.” The medical man made his way to the three bodies, and began to examine them. ‘* Yes,’’ said he, with a casual glance, ‘she is still alive.”? Then a cheer burst from those within hearing, and was speedily taken up by the whole assemblage. ‘‘ But,” said the doctor, ‘‘life has not much hold upon her now. She must be very tenderly handled.’’ *¢ She shall be,”’ cried an enthusiastic woman. ‘‘ I’ll look after her myself, doctor.” ‘‘And she must be taken away immediately, or I cannot answer for the consequences,’’ Ts Ay, ay.” A hundred hands were ready for the service ere the words were barely spoken by the doctor. The doctor then made a careful examination of the bodies of the two men. In a, very little time, however, he pronounced it a hopeless case. Both were past aid. With much care Rose Mortimer was carried off to the home of one of the more humane of the miners’ wives. | * E ® * ® CS ““ Well, my dear, and how do you feel now? Better, I think.”’ It was the owner of the cottage who spoke to her patient. ’ Poor Rose Mortimer wa3 returning to consciousness once more, For a weary time she had hovered upon the verge of the grave. Nature had asserted its strength, however, and Rose lived. “Thank you, I’m better,’’ said Rose. came I here ?”’ “No matter for that now, my dear.” ““That dreadful mine! ”? “ Hush.’’ C6 Why ? 2 “The doctor, says that the subject is not to be mentioned at present.’’ ‘* Very well.” *¢ Will you take your medicine now?” ““If you please.’’ The good woman took up a small physic bottle, shook it, poured out the requisite dose, and gave it to the patient. As the bottle stood by the bedside Rose could just perceive that there was a name written upon it— “* Margaret Black.’’ Then the quantity was mentioned, and the frequency of each dose. “Who is that for ?”? demanded Rose, pointing to the bottle. “You, dear.” “‘ But whose name may that be ??” ‘ Vours.”’ 6¢ Mine.” “‘Yes.. Margaret Black.’’ “‘Margaret Black,” repeated Rose. ‘ Where did you learn it ? ” ** But how “It was marked upon your linen.” Rose was dumbfounded. Suddenly the truth flashed upon her. Margaret Black was the name of the servant whose clothes she had taken as a disguise when escaping from the Whartons. ** You mistake,”’ she said. garet Black.” The woman looked incredulous. ‘‘ All right, my dear,” she said. *‘ Don’t worry yourself about that. Black or White, it’s all one to me.”’ ce But—” “‘There, there. I can understand that you should wish to keep your real name a secret on account,of the dreadful place you was all found in,’’ *‘ Not at all. My name is Rose Mortimer I assure you.”’ ‘6 Yes,” ; She spoke this in a kind of coaxing assenting voice, much in the way that one talks to a maniac. Rose, seeing that she could not conyince her, held her peace. A day passed thus. Rose was rapidly improving in health. Her hardy constitution only appeared to grow more vigorous from the repeated. and violent sufferings which she had undergone. f Upon the second day of her stay at the house of the hospitable miner’s wife Rose heard a piece of intelligence which created fresh alarms, or rather re- ** My name is not Mar- | .newed her old fears. Mr. Wharton and his son Maurice were arrived at the scene of the disaster, Moreover, they desired to confer with the fortunate survivor, Rose was in despair, Would her troubles never come to a termination ? Alas! she seemed doomed to fall into the clutches of these unscrupulous men. She had struggled boldly to avert such a doom, but unavailingly. She was now, indeed, at her wit’s end for means of escape. It was indeed a dilemma, She thought it over again and again, but could arrive at no satisfactory means of avoiding seeing the Whartons. She put it off for two days by feigning to be worse. But this could not last for ever. As she improved she would have escaped by flight during the night, but her kindly-disposed nurse never quitted her side. She thought of confiding in the doctor. But this seemed a very dangerous expedient at best. How could she’ hope to convince a man of the world, as he appeared to be, of her innocence of wrong, and of the guilty intentions. of the Whartons? She was there under circumstances highly suspi- cious. They had a high repute in the county for their humane dispositions. No. Some other means must be adopted. She feigned to grow worse each hour. Then, suddenly hearing that the Whartons were about to leave the county for some time, and desired an interview, she came to a resolution to aid herself bya bold stroke of acting. She feigned death. Still the Whartons came, They wished to see the body. This was a trying moment for Rose. They were shown into the still. chamber and allowed to inspect the presumed corpse. Terror kept the poor girl motionless, and thus aided her project materially. Com ichbooksacom