Beautiful Rienzi; or, The secret vendetta — page 146: what you’re looking at

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

BEAUTIFUL RIENZI 141 to this pale shade? She looks as if she had bidden farewell to this world, and the spirit was gazing an adieu upon the mortal it loved before it ‘Faded back like a sunbeam Into the realms of light.’ ‘< Shall we call her Heaven’s chastened?” She folded my sister’s hand within her own, and gazed with that tender, pleading look, until Isolina, gazing back with brimming eyes, suddenly smiled a brilliant answer, and burst into tears. © ‘‘Qh, thanks, my friend,” she murmured, ‘‘that comforts me. I will be Heaven’s chastened.” | Lower drooped the lovely girl, and whispered of a balm which sometimes comes to broken hearts, until the world- weary invalid gazed raptly and almost joyfully upon her. Hope, long fied, stole back to her eyes; the despairing look gave way to the new tide of heavenly comfort which was ‘shown to her; an eager, entranced expression was on her face all the time these whispered words of Christian com- fort fell from the lips of our gentle friend. Why had I never tried such means of cheer? What had my eager, worldly striving done for her? | Oh, sweet Belle;Cranstown—gentle messenger, smooth be thy path way to the Life which is for thee beyond. ‘Stay with us until we start this afternoon,” said my mother, when Miss Cranstown once more turned to us, her eyes brighter than diamonds after their gentle tears. “Wish I could, but alas!” she responded, with her usual vivacity; ‘seven pairs of eyes watch for me elsewhere.” ‘Disappoint them,” I suggested. ‘ And bring my unlucky faults to the tips of seven volu- able tongues? | Impossible! I go to guard my character.” ‘‘ Don't go,” pleaded my sister, earnestly. — Belle was pulling on her gloves in a great hurry, but when she heard the mild remonstrance, she paused irreso- lutely. ‘Well, I don’t care!” she cried, throwing down her hat. ‘* Belle, L devote thy name to the tongues of the mighty seven—a sacrifice to friendship. I left Louisa on Mrs. Les- mar’s steps where we both were booked to spend the day, and where I suppose they anxiously await my presence in their gossips—I to supply the facts—they to embellish COMICOOO S (©)