Beautiful Rienzi; or, The secret vendetta — page 179: what you’re looking at

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

174 BEAUTIFUL RIENZI. my ear; Sophie quietly drew off my hat and cloak; my gloves remained on my hands, and I did not dream of re- moving them. | ‘“Miss Iva, I hope you’re not angry,” said the girl; <I couldn’t keep her when she would go down!” I saw Ralph Morecombe fastening his horse before the door, and the dread of meeting him aroused me from my indecision. With a scarlet flush mounting to my cheeks, I entered the room. CHAPTER XAIIL MRS. RINGWOOD, Fly, O mychild, fly!! * * * Instant death threatens thee, and swift as light Will the stroke fall; the traitor’s toils are laid; The poison in its gay glass sparkles bright!—Tasso. «And this is your youngest daughter?” It was a small, sinewy hand, which held mine, a hand with long, clinging fingers which stealthily seemed to wreathe round mine with a sudden pressure, which, despite my glove, sent a thousand shafts of mysterious flame through my system, asif fire had been struck between us; it was atall figure in black which stood before me, with a face bending downward in a gaze which I could not meet. I bowed silently, and turned away. My mother was stationed near the window; Isolina sat within the arm of the sofa, and by her side [ placed myself. Now I could lift my eyes to Mrs. Ringwood’s face; she was not looking at me. Could such a face accompany such a hand? | It was mild and elderly; with some benign wrinkles on the forehead, and around the mouth; the lips were pale; the hair banded low on either cheek, and as white as if India’s clime had bleached it; the eyes which could have told perhaps what all the rest denied, were protected by blue optic-glasses, and whether they were gray, blue, or lurid brown like those of the midnight murderess I could not tell. In all points this lady upon whom I was gazing seemed CORNUCG OOO S (©)