Beautiful Rienzi; or, The secret vendetta — page 184: what you’re looking at

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

BEAUTIFUL RIENZL 179 CHAPTER XXIV. A NEW FACE AT THE DOOR. ‘‘Be near me when my light is low— When the blood creeps, and the nerves prick And tingle; and the heart is sick, And all the wheels of being slow.”’—TENNYSON.. ‘¢ Lock the door, mother!” I cried. She had already sprang to-do so, but the woman was as quick as she. With a flash of her long hand, she swept my mother’s glass of wine off the table. The next instant her lithe fingers were pressing down my mother’s upon the door handle. Even in this supreme moment she was hiding behind her mask. ‘‘Are you mad?” she exclaimed, regarding my mother steadily. ‘Your daughter requires your aid. Go to her, I will send for a doctor;. would you seek to detain me?” ‘‘The hand she pressed upon sank and released. My mother swayed aside, and the visitor vanished from the room. ‘‘Mamma, are you mad?’ I, too, cried. ‘‘ Detain her! Will you let the assassin go?” Why did she not move? My sister’s heavy head was in my arms; but I laidit on the wine-drenched floor, and darted after the woman. What folly! Could my girl’s hand and infant cunning hope to conquer the bold plotter? They were swooping down to the gates of Silverlea, the man and his mistress, and no wild commands of mine could reach them now. Almost frenzied, I returned to those I had left. What ! both senseless-—both smitten down! My mother was sitting on a chair, with her hands help- lessly pendant ; a bewildered expression on her face, which was fast changing to unconsciousness. “Mother!” I shrieked, ‘“‘do not give way. We must raise poor Isolina from the floor. She will die here!” CONMIC DOO S (©)