The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 249: what you’re looking at

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

246 THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. *‘T beg your pardon,” said the attorney. ‘‘I think your wor- ship is a little premature in coming to such a decision. We have proofs. I have a witness here—a French soldier, who was on the field of Waterloo, and saw the whole of this transaction. He has now been settled in this country for some years; but he lay wounded on the field of battle, and he happened to see all that passed, and can swear that the prisoner at the bar was the person who gave the child to Captain Morton, and that he is what he represents himself to be, namely, an officer in the French army, or at least was such at the date of these transac- tions.” An old, weather-beaten man, tanned by age, stepped forward, and bowed to the magistrate, who, after a moment’s consider- ation, said,— ‘*] will swear you and take your evidence, but not now. When tbe prisoner in nee course is called upon for his de- fense, you can be produced.” ‘‘ And in the mean time I do hope,” said the attorney, “ that the Morton family will not attempt to interfere with this wit- ness.” Captain Morton, who felt his honor touched at this speech, would have made an angry reply, but the magistrate checked him, saying— ‘‘Never mind, never mind, Captain Morton. You must let these sort of speeches go in at one ear and out at the other in a police court.” Mabel then related clearly and distinctly the manner of her abduction from home by the mendicant, and how he had forci- bly kept her a prisoner for a long time until she made her escape with great difficulty from him. Rafferty was then called, to his great chagrin; for he had to give an account of how remarkably clever he tried to be. and succeeded only in falling into the lake. His testimony, how- ever, was an important corroboration of Mabel's because it fixed the identity of the prisoner. Captain Morton then deposed to the prisoner being the same man who had previously called upon him, and offered to take money to forego a claim upon Mabel of relatiorship. ‘* This is a clear enough offense,” said the magistrate. ‘ Now, prisoner, what have you to say in reply to all this ?” “This is my daughter. This is my witness.” “Tis false, sir; it is false,” said old Monsieur Rouselli, step- ‘ping forward and confronting the French witness, ‘‘She is my dear grandchild; blessings on her. It was my son who gave her into the care of Captain Morton. My only brave and gallant son. who died upon that blood-stained field.” The old French soldier, who had come forward again at the call of the mendicant, shrank back from before the gaze of Monsieur Rouselli, and uttered the words ‘‘ Mon Dieu!” The magistrate observed his emotion, and had him immediately sworn; after which he said to him in a solemn voice: ‘* Now, tell your version of the story; and remember, that you have sworn in the name of Heaven to tell the truth.” comicbooks. com