Beautiful Rienzi; or, The Secret Vendetta — page 183: what you’re looking at

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

176 ns BEAUTIFUL RIENZI. «‘T am sorry we have kept you waiting so long,” said my mother; “‘it is a long drive to Shirley Sands.” The lady bowed and turned with a peculiarly determined manner to Isolina, as if she were silently demanding some- thing. The agitated girl again half rose, and with sudden malice I directed a deliberate stare at the optic glasses, and pulled her back. «Pardon me,” said my mother, suddenly breaking the silence, ‘‘but have we not met before, Mrs. Ringwood?” A short pause followed this abrupt question; then came the lady’s reply, in a mild, bland voice. «T do not know, I am sure, dear Mrs. Rienzi. Perhaps you have been in Vermont?” ‘No, I have never been in Vermont?” <<T have lived all my life there until within the last few months. My dear husband died ” this with a deep sigh, ‘cand home was home for me no more.” A delicate handkerchief with a deep black border was earried to the pale lips, and received the sigh. ‘The rest of the face looked for a subtle instant, as if a sneer had dis- torted it. «© Do you remember where we met before?” I said it in Italian, and walked slowly up to the lady, un- til my foot was on the very hem of her dress. No human being can conceive the secret terror with which I approached her, and forced myself to speak to her; but I stood my ground with clenched hands before her. For one instant her head was raised with a startled look; her features changed to dull gray, then a flash of dusky red; I could have sworn those benign wrinkles were cunningly simulated with a pencil dipped in sepia; they belied. so much the tigerish grit of those white teeth; but the next moment her regards were turned to my mother with an air of gentle appeal. ‘« What did the young lady say?” she murmured; ‘‘I think she seems distressed.” My mother would have answered, but at that moment a - bell rang, and a sudden thought seemed to strike her. ‘There is the bell for luncheon; allow me to remove your bonnet, Mrs. Ringwood; you have fasted, I dare say, as long as we have.” I gazed in astonishment at my mother. What! ask her to break the bread of friendship under our roof?” comicbooks-com — a ¥ i a P, *