Beadle's Dime Novels, No. 11 — page 120: what you’re looking at

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

118 THE PRISONER OF LA VINTRESSE. > soothingly; “you see I have dropped from the clouds, I wish you to give me the keys of the main body of the house.”’ “ Against the orders of Don Carlos,” murmured the house- keeper. “T am mistress, now,” said Minerva, with dignity. The woman unloosed the keys with trembling eagerness, and placed them in Minerva’s hand. .Bidding Bandola follow her, she entered at once into the long-closed-up passages, and unlocked the business room, where every thing remained just as the general’s steward had left it, with a view, probably, to trimming it up before the family returned. Here she sent for ' the old negro, Jose. He came in very soon, a tall, bony, cruel-faced man, whose complexion, black though it was, seemed to change to a yellow pallor, when he saw what seemed to be an apparition, for he could scarcely persuade himself of the reality of her presence. : “ Jose,” she said, sternly, “have you come this morning from La Vintresse ?” | The man was dumb fora moment. At last he managed to answer that he had. “What horses are here ?” she asked. “Rose and Charlie,” he replied. “Put them into the carriage immediately,” exclaimed. “Into the carriage, senorita ?” “Into the carriage, 1 said; then come back. Be quick !” she added, in a sharp, authoritative voice. He was gone, absolutely lost in wonder, and did nothing but roll up the whites of his eyes as he muttered to him- self: “ Wha’ in Harry she gwine to do nex’ ?” “ Carriage in, senora,” he said, humbly. “Very well, I’m going up to La Vintresse; you may drive me.” , . If the negro’s mien was astonishment and wonder before, it was now simply horror. “You,” was all he said, slinking back shufflingly. “ Yes, I, certainly; I am going to La Vintresse. You, com- prehend, perfectly, you are to drive.” “ You,—to La Vintresse ?” he muttered again, his lips scarce- ly moving. comiclbooks.corn