Beautiful Rienzi; or, The secret vendetta — page 226: what you’re looking at

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

BEAUTIFUL RIENZL. 221 to the letter, and dropped, like a lump of lifeless clay, upon my chair again. The contents had simply stunned me; as yet I was insensible to wrath or grief. The doctor read it and folded it up carefully. <¢ ‘Tt’s some infernal conspiracy! he exclaimed, ‘and I am not going to believe she ever penned this letter until she says so with her own lips. She’s not the girl to throw you over treacherously. We'll see her face to face, and clear this up.’ : <“The passage from England, was like a heavy dream; it passed me and left me in the same condition in which I had left my home. On the 29th of November, I, with my friend, arrived in New York. ‘“We had not left the steamer, when a young man whose acquaintance I had made in Saratoga a few days before I left, accosted me, and desired tospeak with me. I told him to call at Hotel in an hour, where I would be located. He would not leave me but accompanied me to the hotel in a carriage. When we were alone, the young man whose manner was very mysterious, locked the door, and slowly advanced, until he was close before me. «‘<«Victor Joselyn, you have come to this city for one who willsend you back alone; he said ina low, concentrated voice; ‘her heart has changed to you, and she sighs to be free.’ “¢“Who are you sir, that knows my private movements and intentions so well?’ I demanded; ‘who has commis- sioned Cecil Beaumont to pronounce my destiny?’ ““<T am Victor Joselyn’s successor to the hand of Isolina Rienzi!’ he answered, fixing his burning eyes on mine. «“*Wretch? I cried, striking him; ‘take that for slan- der!’ ‘He stood motionless, though his face had withered to colorless marble. “<< Do you wish a proof of what I say?’ he whispered. ‘See, then. She has promised to be mine to-night; there will be a concert; 1am to fly with her from the concert. You shall go there; you wili see her enter the hall leaning upon my arm; this will be proof that she has cast you off. Are you satisfied ?’ ‘©*No! I shrieked; ‘ not until I see her face to face!’ “‘« You will request an interview, then, to-day; she shall CORNUCG OOO S (©)