Beautiful Rienzi; or, The Secret Vendetta — page 185: what you’re looking at

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

178 BEAUTIFUL RIENZLI wine. In an instant it was swept gracefully to one side, and the lady was sitting back in her chair with her hands folded in her lap. Had she done it ? My cheeks blanched white ; my eyes glittered with ex- citement. Now to manage my part. I rose and lifted the tray with the four glasses upon it, and offered it to Mrs. Ringwood. ‘‘Nothing but a glass of wine!” she said, smiling pleas- antl She engaged my eyes, but I was not unconscious that she had lifted one glass and slightly designated another, by striking it with the glass she was lifting, while she turned those mystically hidden orbs toward the sofa. At that my sister clasped her hands and fell back gasp- ing. I resolved to see the meaning of this signal. I carried the tray to my sister. She shook her head and waved me away wildly. I lifted the marked glass and placed it on the mantel- piece; the other two I carried to my mother. She lifted one and set it beside her; I came back with the tray, and took the last glass in my hands. Now, all my suspicions were centered in the marked glass, which I had placed on the mantel-piece. I was think- _ ing how nicely we had her in our power, if I could succeed in saving that glass. While thus | pondered, I raised my wine io my lips. A sudden shriek broke from my sister. She sprang with the swiftness of light to my side, and dashed the vessel from my hands. ‘‘Oh, mother, mother ! too much !” she cried, and fell at my feet among the fragments of broken glass, and wave of ruby wine. comicbooks.co