The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 241: what you’re looking at

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

238 THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. ‘What! don’t she know all about that?” said Rafferty. ‘‘ Indeed she does not.” Mabel turned pale, as she said. in anxious tones: ‘Do not tell it to me, if it be any news that in its results may have the effect of taking me from you. If it be any news con- cerning my real birth, keep it secret still, and let me rather be the unknown child of the battle-field, and the object of your kind bounty. Ido not wish now to make new friends or new associations. My heart is already as full of affection as it can be.” These were delightful words for Henry to hear, but he took up the subject, as the captain was silent, and said: ‘‘ Mabel, do you suppose that I could look so joyous as I look now, if I were in possession of any intelligence which would have the effect of taking you from us? Oh, no! The news that we have to tell you is of no such character, although it is infor- mation that clears up every mystery connected with your birth.” ‘*Be composed,” said the captain. ‘‘ Henry, tell our dear Mabel all.” Mabel sat down, and Henry by her side, and he, as rapidly and concisely as he could, related to her all the story connected with old Monsieur Rouselli. She listened to him with the most absorbed attention; and when he had concluded her eyes filled with tears, as she said, ‘*“My poor, poor father! and my mother, too! Oh! what cruel, cruel misfortunes. I cannot even on this joyous day refrain from tears.” ‘‘ They are natural tears, dear Mabel,” said Henry, ‘‘ and such as honor those who shed them. You must make no excuses to us, who know your kindly heart so well, for any such emo- tions.” ‘*Don’t be after crying, Miss Mabel,” said Rafferty; ‘‘ you don’t see me crying, do you? Your father died as a soldier should—on the battle-field—and that’s, to my thinking, a mighty deal easier and pleasanter than being laid up in a bed for the Lord knows how long, with some of the machinery in your inside wrong, and, at last, dying by quarters of an inch at a time.” In ashort time Mabel recovered from this flush of emotion that had come over her, and she was confirmed in her wish to see old Monsieur Rouselli. A carriage was procured, and they all, including Rafferty, who would sit on the coach-box, and the hostler, too, who had remained domestic in the captain’s lodg- ings, went together. The captain thought it quite as necessary that old Monsieur Rovuselli should not be subjected to the shock of seeing Mabel, and being told who she was, as that she should have been grad- ually prepared, as she was, by the officer’s wife, for an intro- duction to those dear friends from whom she had been so long separated, and whom she so earnestly desired again to see. . ith this intent he left Mabel and Henry in the coach below together, while he went up to the old man and gently told him of the joy he now could bring him. This was an arrangement which Henry by no means objected comicbooks. com