Beautiful Rienzi; or, The secret vendetta — page 95: what you’re looking at

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

90 BEAUTIFUL RIENZI. My sister’s face gradually became livid and almost dis- torted with a look of horror. She clasped her hands, and rose, looking at me wildly. ‘My mother?” she gasped. ‘‘Yes,” I answered, abashed and affrighted; ‘‘ our dear mother who has been desperately ill for months; she is coming home. Qh, sister, I thought this would make you lad!” : ° Her face relaxed and vibrated with a flood of emotion; she turned away and flung herself down, weeping bitterly. ‘There was no joy in these tears; 1t was bitter, bitter grief. “Tsolina,” I said, gently, “‘if is mamma. Surely you will not grieve when you understand that she is coming home to leave us no more. Weshall all be home, then, dear, and you will be in the midst, safe from harm.” ‘No, no, no!” she moaned; ‘I shall go away!” The last ray of pleasure vanished from my heart, leaving me pale and cold as she had been. ‘Sister, what can you mean?” I cried; ‘‘go away? Where would you go away from mamma? Alas, poor sister, what are you saying? No onecan love you like a mother!” ‘“‘Porbear!” she muttered, with a shudder—“ let me for- get, if can. Yes!” she exclaimed, raising her face from her hands witha wild light flashing in her eye; ‘‘let me forget her, if I can—let memory die, if it will!” Oh, what did these wild words mean? I dared not ask. The turbid veins were throbbing in her throat like dark cords; her breath was coming in short, choking gasps. I could only take her hands in mine, and hold them tenderly, until the sad paroxysm had lessened in violance, then I ven- tured to approach the subject by bringing in another. These words of hers about going away had alarmed me; I would show her how impossible it was, and instill it in her mind, so that if ever the crazy idea came to her again she would relinquish it. ‘‘ Tsolina,” I commenced, cautiously, ‘I am afraid you must feel very dull here in these two rooms, with the top of the house for exercise, do you not?” Her attention was arrested, and she questioned me with her sweet sad eyes, mutely, as if to know what I was driving at. | ‘‘ Have you noticed,” I continued, ‘how we have kept CORNUCG OOO S (©)