Beautiful Rienzi; or, The secret vendetta — page 187: what you’re looking at

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

182 BEAUTIFUL RIENZI. the village. My wild thoughts began to shape themselves. I would have the murderess arrested before she could leave Ranelagh. I would have revenge, and it should be sweeping. | Faster and faster I walked; my hands clenched, my eyes hot and tearless. The afternoon sun was glimmering through the rows of trees, and on every spear of grass hung a string of diamonds. All down the sandy road to Ranelagh were banks of purple violets and primroses, with a tear in every heart, but they breathed no comfort to me. A group of happy-eyed children passed me on their way from the village school, and every voice sank to silence as I passed. ‘Look at her! look at her!” they cried, huddling to- gether. ‘‘ She’s lost her bonnet and shawl! She’s one of the la- dies from Silverlea—let’s go and help find ’em.” But I soon outstripped them in the search, and forgot to look behind at them. The village street was quiet and deserted as usual; but a group of strangers were standing at the foot of the hotel steps, and they all gazed at me with faces of concern or surprise, and said something to each other like what the children had said; but I was impervious to external expressions, and walked through the midst of them, only seeing before me my great purpose of vengeance. | Mr. Stanton was standing on the balcony talking toa gentleman; I caught him by the arm and pulled him aside in the middle of a sentence. ‘“Where is Mrs. Ringwood?” ‘““My gracious, Miss Rienzi! what’s up?” ‘Where is Mrs. Ringwood, sir?” ~**T—lP’m amazed; do you know there’s nothing on your head? Where did you come from, for Heaven’s sake?” I shook his arm until he grew red with the violent mo- tion. ‘‘Hor the third time, I ask you, sir—where is Mrs. Ring- wood?” ‘‘Miss Rienzi, if it’s a matter of importance, I’m sorry for you,” he exclaimed, with considerable feeling; “‘ she’s gone half an hour ago.” “Where?” ‘Indeed I can’t tell you. I wish for your sake I had asked. It was quite a sudden thing; she hired two of my COMICOOO S (©)