Beautiful Rienzi; or, The secret vendetta — page 138: what you’re looking at

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

BEAUTIFUL RIENZI, 133 escape! Guiseppe,” she lowered her voice to a whisper, ‘remember Gemma Lancinetto. Could it be she?’ My father started; the arm on which I leaned was with- drawn, and he turned an incredulous, half-amused face on my mother. — ‘Would she defer her revenge for twenty—yes, twenty- two years? No, no, my Maud, she has doubtless forgotten my name long before this time, if she lives.” ‘© Well?” broke in the lawyer’s business-like voice. ‘‘It is not worth explaining,” said my father, flushing, and looking proudly at my mother. ‘‘ This foolish wife of mine was recalling a certain lady who intended to have stood in her place at my wedding, but for a reason, failed.” ‘‘Perhaps my good friend, Dr. Graves, would like his little patient there to go and lie down, and get a nice quiet little nap,” said Mr. Speingle, looking significantly at the doctor. ‘‘Let her stay,” said my father, compressing his arm round me, in aclose embrace. ‘I have nothing that I need hide from my little daughter. My wife was merely referring to a lady that I, while a very young man, in Florence, at the School of Arts, got engaged to. She was possessed of both wealth and beauty, but was unsuitable for me; and, there- fore, as soon as I became aware of this, I released her from her engagement, and in the subsequent years of choosing a profession and coming to America, I confess I forgot Sig- norina Lancinetto’s existence. Five years after we parted we met on our wedding day, when I was leading my wife here into the carriage for our tour, and the lady used some very hard expressions against me, which caused Mrs. Rienzi a great deal of alarm for a while, particularly one threat which she made, in very passionate Italian, that ‘She would give me cause to remember Gemma Lancinetto to the day of my death.’ In an evil hour I translated the Christian- like promise to my young wife, and cost her many a wake- ful night afterward, but the lady, not being as good as her promise for twenty-two years, I confess I have long ago lost faith in her word.” | ‘“‘Gemma Lancinetto,” said Mr. Speingle, opening his sheet of notes, and scribbling on the back. ‘‘ Describe the lady as she was twenty-two years ago, Mr. Rienzi. This is important testimony.” ‘Describe her? Oh, beautiful of course, as an angel!” CORNUCG OOO S (©)