Beautiful Rienzi; or, The secret vendetta — page 94: what you’re looking at

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

BEAUTIFUL RIENZI. 89 Vesuvius! Will my own darling tell her old father how she is to-day? Let me see those downcast eyes, if they are clear and bright!” And, oh! to see her turn away in anguished coldness, while the tears dropped down her cheeks, and her quivering lips kept that stern and unending silence! On the second of May a letter came from my long-absent mother which threw my father and me into such a transport of delight as we had not known in many a long day. It informed us that she had recovered from her long and obstinate malady; that she knew all the calamities which had fallen upon us, and had resolved to join us immediately and help us to bear our sorrows; that she trusted in Heaven that our Isolina’s fate should be made known to us, and did not despair; that she would bring faith and hope with her, to cheer us, and that together we should trace to its source the plot which had driven one of our number from us. This letter, so strong and healthful in its tone, infused new life into us; it spoke of hope, and bade us look beyond the present darkness: it seemed to prophesy a happier era. ‘*Run and tell your sister the joyful news,” was my father’s first thought. ‘‘ Tell her that she’ll soon have a mother to make her well—that will rouse her.” I hastened up stairs with the letter fluttering in my hand; my face was beaming with happiness; my whole being was transposed with joy; I was the impersonifica- tion of hope; I was the ‘‘ bearer of good news from a far country.” In this state of mind I let myself into the sunless room, where alone myrsilent sister sat, a book unopened by her side, her dark, melancholy eyes resting on vacancy. “My darling!” I exclaimed, placing myself before her, ‘‘T have such good news to tell you!” She turned her spectral face and gazed at me in wonder, as if the light «nd life which I had brought with me were dazzling her dim sight. ‘Papa sent me up with a message,” I continued, in atone of subdued eagerness. ‘* He said ‘tell her that her mother is coming to make her well,’ and she is—she is, my dar- ling; she will be here in a few weeks; she says so in her letter.” Strange, indeed, was the effect of my glad tidings. CORNUCG OOO S (©)