Beautiful Rienzi; or, The secret vendetta — page 261: what you’re looking at

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

256 BEAUTIFUL RIENZI while Doctor Pemberton strove to restore animation. How pale he was! how old and feeble-looking! alas! my father! ee Guiseppe! nonsense, man, look up! all’s not lost yet— they’ve only a few minutes start: fie, man!” With a faint groan, my father raised himself, and looked up. The amber clouds were drifting overhead;. the faint, milk-white stars of September were peeping down wanly in the sunset glare. How serenely nature ever smiles when the heart is bleeding most! ‘Poor Ivanilla!”’ he murmured, meeting my wistful eyes; lost her mate! poor little birdling.” The doctor peremptorily insisted on my father entering the dismal cottage, and resting on the miserable couch where last I had seen our enemy reclining. The curtains were torn down from the windows to admit the straggling rays of light, and some refreshments were brought in from the carriage, which Doctor Pemberton saw that we partook of; indeed, I was too weak and exhausted not to obey him gladly. And here we resolved to wait until the driver could be dispatched to the nearest inn, which was at least ten miles off, for another horse. While my thoughts were absorbed, the doctor called upon me to explain all that had occurred since his departure from Silverlea. Amid intense attention, I told them all. ‘¢ And so you know now, that poor Isolina had been mar- ried to luckless young Joselyn for more thanayear! I had hoped, when I posted on here from the old country, to be able to ferret out the cursed spell that kept them apart; alas! we found what it was too late, Guiseppe!” “Too late!” groaned my father. “‘And do you believe that our Isolina is not ours?” I gasped, looking from one to the other. “*] believe it,” answered my father, covering his face with his hands. ‘‘ And I believe it!” echoed the doctor; ‘she is strikingly like what Alicia Joselyn, her elder sister, was; the likeness is there.” ‘* Papa,” I murmured, “‘why do you believe it? Have you ~ ‘Was I what, my child?” ‘‘ Have you any reason to think that there could have been an exchange?” I said. COMICOOO S (©)