The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 175: what you’re looking at

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

172 THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. no necessity for telling her that Mrs. Jenkins would cheat her wholesale, After a few more remarks, and a reiterated promise of calling on the morrow, he left her; and although ali her anxiety could not be said to be removed, yet she felt so thoroughly vonvinced that the officer’s suggestion respecting Captain Morton’s coming to towp was a true one, that she would not have been at all astonished if he had knocked at the door. Of course she considered that when he came to town he would lose not a moment in going to the magistrate who had written, and there he would get her address, which she well knew he would not bave in his possession many minutes before he was on his road to her. The very possibility. then, that at any moment he might arrive kept her in a continued flutter of spirits. ut did ske think of no one in that family which was so dear to her, but of Captain Morton? Ah, yes! From the very first moment that doubts of her parentage had crossed her mind, she had associated some of her sweetest dreams of future happiness with the image of the captain's brother; and her heart now flut- tered with the fond hope that he would come, too, on the wings of affection to seek her. But hour after hour passed away, and they came not. She passed a sleepless night of nervous expectation, but no one came to tell her any one wanted her. True, she did hear a noise in the night as of some one stum- bling up the staircase, and passing her room door to go to the other above, and that was all that disturbed the stillness of the long and weary hours during which she courted sleep in vain. When she rose in the morning, her looks proclaitned pretty clearly that she had had no repose, and Mrs. Jenkins ex- claimed, — “T knew it! I knew it!” ‘* You knew what, madam ?” ‘*Why, 1 knew you could not sleep one blessed wink after half-past three, us never was, all on account of that wretch.” ** What wretch ?” <¢Oh, I will get rid of him, I will. I hate the sight of him, I do. A good-for-nothing fellow, I'll be bound. Coming in at such a time o’ night, too.” ‘‘T do not know to whom you allude, Mrs. Jenkins; but, as regards my not sleeping, you are perfectiy correct.” ‘‘ But did you hear no noise ?” ‘“' Yes, I certainly heard a noise, as of some one tumbling up- stairs.” “Yes, at half-past three, as never was.” ‘‘T did not know what was the hour, nor can I say it was that which awakened me, for I was awake when it occurred. Who was it ?” , ‘‘ Why, now, Til just tell you, and it only shows how people ought to be, in this world, continually upon their blessed guards, you see, Miss Morton, Yesterday evening there comes a man, comicbooks. com