Beautiful Rienzi; or, The Secret Vendetta — page 69: what you’re looking at

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

62 BEAUTIFUL RIENZI. drawing-room was now brighily lit, the hearth swept, and a blazing fire on. He sat by this merry, crackling fire, and put my poor, beating head upon his breast, and kissed me kindly. ‘* You have had asad day of it, I fear, poor little girl,” he said, ‘‘ and indeed Lam a little afraid for you—your head is like a furnace.” ‘Tam very well, father—too well. Please tell me all you have been doing. You know while you have been working I have been waiting.” | ‘J have very little to reward your waiting with,” he sighed ; ‘‘my work has been to little purpose. Your sister is still undiscovered, and all clews seem lost. I have been to Greely’s Mills, and saw the—the body at Mrs. Beaumont’s house ; there was an inguest on it and a verdict was re- turned of ‘ Death by violent means.’ I have been able to make nothing of that strange story you told me of your sister visiting some person at night, and writing to unknown people. If Heaven ever restores her to us, we may hear an explanation from her own mouth: but my belief is that she is embroiled in some wretched plot.” ‘‘And what more?” I cried, feverishly ; ‘‘did you do nothing more? Is that all you have to tell?” ‘<I did nothing more, my poor darling, except to write to your mother. Keep up courage until she comes; you'll not be so lonely when there are two of you.” I raised my head and looked at him, and trembled from head to foot. I felt it coming, the long delayed storm of grief. I thought of my mother’s anguish when that mes- sage should reach her; it seemed as if the fiat had gone forth with that message ; that our grief was to be real; my eyes fell upon the pile of books and music, and pretty orna- ments which her hands had worked, and which were to be put away now. ) {t came to me in a blinding flash, that my darling would come no more to me; that she was lost and dead to me, and dead to my family forever. A wild shriek broke from me. I clasped my hands on my heart, and the pent-up tears poured forth in a torrent, my frame was racked and shaken with the tempest, grief _ and horror filled my heart, and seemed to find no bounds. At last my sorrow had begun. m fe Gomicbooks.-co