Beautiful Rienzi; or, The secret vendetta — page 181: what you’re looking at

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

176 BEAUTIFUL RIENZI. ‘‘T am sorry we have kept you waiting so long,” said my mother; “it is a long drive to Shirley Sands.” The lady bowed and turned with a peculiarly determined manner to Isolina, as if she were silently demanding some- thing. The agitated girl again half rose, and with sudden malice I directed a deliberate stare at the optic glasses, and pulled her back. ‘‘ Pardon me,” said my mother, suddenly breaking the silence, ‘‘but have we not met before, Mrs. Ringwood?” A short pause followed this abrupt question; then came the lady’s reply, in a mild, bland voice. ‘IT do not know, Iam sure, dear Mrs. Rienzi. Perhaps you have been in Vermont?” ‘‘ No, I have never been in Vermont?” ‘1 have lived all my life there until within the last few months. My dear husband died ” this with a deep sigh, ‘‘and home was home for me no more.” A delicate handkerchief with a deep black border was carried to the pale lips, and received the sigh. The rest of the face looked for a subtle instant, as 1f a sneer had dis- torted it. ‘Do you remember where we met before?” I said it in Italian, and walked slowly up to the lady, un- til my foot was on the very hem of her dress. No human being can conceive the secret terror with which I approached her, and forced myself to speak to her; but I stood my ground with clenched hands before her. For one instant her head was raised with a startled look; her features changed to dull gray, then a flash of dusky red: I could have sworn those benign wrinkles were cunningly simulated with a pencil dipped in sepia; they belied so much the tigerish grit of those white teeth; but the next moment her regards were turned to my mother with an air of gentle appeal. ‘‘What did the young lady say?” she murmured; “I think she seems distressed.” My mother would have answered, but at that moment a bell rang, and a sudden thought seemed to strike her. ‘There is the bell for luncheon; allow me to remove your bonnet, Mrs. Ringwood; you have fasted, I dare say, as long as we have.” _ I gazed in astonishment at my mother. What! ask her to break the brdad of friendship under our roof?” CORNUCG OOO S (©)