Beautiful Rienzi; or, The secret vendetta — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

BEAUTIFUL RIENZI O7 dows carefully closed with shutters, the night-lamp burn- ing low. I retired early that I might be ready to take my turn at three o’clock, and after starting awake feverishly two or three times to listen for a signal that ‘‘something” had occurred, I at length fell into a heavy slumber which lasted until the daylight began to struggle in, when I rose in haste and found I had overslept my watch an hour. I flitted to the locked door and let myself in, and there my father sat by the dim night-lamp, pale of cheek and heavy- eyed, but vigilant as ever, as he counted his drops of medi- cine, and bent over the letter of minute instructions. The fall of gossamer vould not be hghter than his touch on her pulse; nor the softest whisper of a woman, than the breathed caress as he poured the diluted drops through her parted lips and fanned her brow. ‘How is she?” I whispered. «<'The same,” was the answer. I approached and found her still sunk in her dream-like apathy. ‘““Why did you allow me to oversleep myself?” I asked. ‘You look very worn and tired, my father, while I have been stealing an hour of your rest!” | ‘‘J am not fatigued,” he said, looking tenderly at my sis- ter. ‘*I do not know how the night sped; it seemed short.” ‘‘Gonow,” I urged; “‘you must be ready to attend your office at the usual hour, you know.” | He fain would have lingered, but at last he yielded to me and prepared to depart. ‘“‘ Study these directions well; I have found them of the very greatest use,” he said; “‘ why, I followed its dictates to the moment, and I really think such punctuality is a very great step in the right direction!” My dear father, he men- tioned with pride his skill as a sick-nurse! ‘‘ What bottle is this?” I asked, lifting a large one up; “ it was not here last night.” ‘That is one the doctor brought—he was here at mid- night, and said she was not worse; he staid nearly an 1our.”’ ‘* He is very kind to us, papa.” “Yes, dear, he sympathizes with us in our sad position. Now I shall go. One charge I would vehemently impress upon your mind; let noimprudent noises disturb her—quiet is her life.” CORNUCG OOO S (©)