Beautiful Rienzi; or, The secret vendetta — page 248: what you’re looking at

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

BEAUTIFUL RIENZI. 243 ‘And when I summon you, you promise to come, whatever the difficulties?’ she asked. ‘‘T agreed to almost everything, and she expressed high satisfaction with the interview. I saw that she trusted me; that I would be prudent and docile. — She embraced me at parting with warmth. I returned home inacab. Heaven alone can tell the inward despair of my soul; but I was able to keep calm, aud guard my se- cret even from you. ‘“ Next day I made a packet of all Victor Joselyn’s letters and burned his photograph, and everything which reminded me of him, except a painting which he had made of the happiest moment of our lives, and the white rose which I had worn in my bosom on my wedding-day. ‘Then I wrote to Victor demanding a divorce, and re- turned his letters. I hoped that he would not insist ona reason, but consider me inconstant or fickle; and my one prayer to Heaven was that we should never meet face to face. «The day that should reveal me to him as Ais sister would have stretched me helpless at his feet. Oh! I am still wild enough, mad enough to pray that Victor Joselyn may never know that Isolina is his sister. Let him revile me, despise me—cease to love me, and throw my memory to the winds; but, oh! this last hopeless, infamous blow may he be spared! pr” CHAPTER XXAXIT. THE CROSS. ‘For my heart was hot and restless, And my life was full of care, And the burden that was laid upon me Seemed greater than I could bear.”—LoNGFELLow. The door was opened gently, and Ralph Morecombe came in; he wore a look of apprehension, and a sealed packet was in his hand. ‘‘Madam,” he said, bowing low to Isolina, “the shadows are long on the grass; already the-sun is low, and there are long miles between the Black Forest and my habitation.” “Do you mean that my sister, that Miss Rienzi, is to leave this to-night?” exclaimed Isolina. ‘‘ Did you not CORNUCG OOO S (©)