The Slave Sculptor — page 72: what you’re looking at

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

74 THE SLAVE SCULPTOR. and come as she chose; but now she was a prisoner. The door had been closed upon her, and she knew full well for what purpose. The long, weary, and hurried walk which she had been compelled to undergo, and the agony of mind under which she labored, so prostrated her whole system that she lay down on the edge of her bed, and unconsciously fell into a fitful slumber. Her excited imagi- nation pictured frightful events. In the wanderings of her mind she saw her friends dragged from before her eyes, saw them prose* cuted nigh unto death, witnessed their tortures, until the cold per- spiration stood in great drops upon her forehead. She was at length aroused by the sound of 4 poe and, on lookirig up, beheld To- luca, who had just come from the dungeon, where he had, as he © supposed, permanently sealed and concealed the fate of Tonatiuh. Mazina sprang from the couch, and fled to the farthest corner of the room, and cried : | “‘ Away from me, monster! Away, I say! I hate your presence, and scorn your power. Away —away!”’ *« My dear Mazina,’’ he replied, with mock respect, **I thought you would be lonesome, so I came to keep you company for an hour, as I leave the city before sunrise.”’ ** Tell me, sir, why you persecute me in this manner? Have I ever committed an error, punishable with such base treatment as you have dealt out to me and my friends?’” ** You are decidedly pointed in your remarks, my dear, ‘‘ he re- ‘joined coolly. <‘* You are mistaken, however, in asserting that I am your enemy, as I am directly the other thing — the best friend you have. | : ~ Your actions exhibit your regard in a remarkably bad light,’’ she haughtily replied. ‘If you have even respect for me, leave the apartment instantiy, and never again force yourself upon my notice. Your conduct is more that of a fiend incarnate, than a human be- a ‘«« Really, I could not think of going until I had made a more agreeable arrangement with you; *’ and there was the sarcasm of a devil in his tone. ‘* You know that I have loved you long and de- votedly —that I have, in times past, used every reasonable argu- ment to convince you of my sincerity; but kind words and gentle treatment have had no effect. I therefore concluded to use my own means to obtain the coveted end, and I assure you that you shall be — either lawfully or unlawfully. You can make your own Mazina did not reply. The truth of her. dreadfal position came with overwhelming force upon her heart, and, bowing her head she sobbed aloud. ‘« L shall leave you for awhile,’’ he added, ‘* but, during my absence you will be under the especial care and guardianship of Lord Ahuitzol, and will not be allowed to leave thig apartment. Still, you shall be treated in every way as becomes yor station. When I return yeu conmnicloooks.com