The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 229: what you’re looking at

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

226 THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. looked in her face while she talked to the captain, whose whole countenance exhibited the joy that reigned over his heart, too, now that he had once more recovered possession of his lost treasure—his child of the battle-field, who, in the midst of car- nage and of danger, had been intrusted to bis honor and hu- manity. He seemed as if suddenly time had with him taken a retro- grade movement, and had gone back many years. The beam- ing aspect of actual youth was in his eyes, and not in the whole of the vast city in which they were, we are convinced, could there have been found a happier and a more contented group than that. The multitude of questions that were asked, and the answers that were given in a brief space of time, defy our limits to record. Suffice that they found they had food for conversation for many a day to come. But Captain Morton was not easy until he had fully explained to Mabel how it was that the magistrate’s letter had remained unanswered: and although she smiled and told him that it was answered fully now, he would tell her the whole particulars of how he came to town to look for her. But, as he spoke, Henry gave him a glance which induced him as yet to say nothing of old Monsieur Rouselli, The fact was, that Henry wanted to reserve that communication for him- self to make, and which, after all, was a pardonable selfishness, so the captain let him have his own way, saying as an excuse for their coming to town at such a juncture, that extreme anxiety personally to aid in a search for her actuated him. ‘*T have given you all.” she said, with a smile, “‘far more trouble than I shall now be worth to you.” ‘‘Nay, now, I mean to quarrel with you,” said Henry, ‘ just as if you were a total stranger, if ever you utter one word that is not in praise of yourself, if you take yourself for a subject. Now you are recovered, there aré only two people in the world who shall be permitted ever to praise you, either, unless they do it very circumspectly, beside myself; so you see I am going to be monstrously jealous, troublesome and exacting.” ~ ‘You are really, Henry. And who are the favored two?” ‘Oh, my brother and Rafferty.” ‘‘Poor Rafferty! is he well ?” ‘Yes, the rascal is well enough. Confound him! But for his retended cleverness, we should not have had the misery, dear abel, of being so long separated from you.” ‘‘ But you forgive him ?” ‘Yes, his intention was blameless; and I believe the poor fel- low has felt ever since most keenly the consequences of his blunder. Indeed I am sure he would any day since that fatal one which tore you from the arms of those who loved you, have cheerfully laid down his life, if by so doing he could have re- aired the error which he felt he had committed. It will be a appy day for him, I am certain, when he looks upon you in.’ a : “Ts he in town? will that day be this day ?” comicbooks. com