The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 295: what you’re looking at

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

292 THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. sent itself, to get from Sternholde some particulars with regard to the fate of her whom he had once pretended to love, and the fact of whose becoming the wife of another seemed to have awakened a:l those angry passions which he possessed, and which otherwise might not have made so violent an exhibition of themselves. Captain Morton thought it possible that if he were watched closely, some moment would arise when a thought of the dread- ful doom that awaited him might banish some of the sullenness of his disposition, and make him communicate it. The question was put to him on several occasions, and no doubt he at once conoluded that it was dictated by the Morton family, against whom he entertained the most unextinguishable atreclt, His reply was to the following effect: ‘ I do know the information which is sought. Spare my life, and I will tell it.” He was, of course, informed that that was impossible, and then he declined uttering another word upon the subject. A few days after his death, the governor of the prison was in- formed by one of tbe minor officers, to whom had been given in charge the garments of the culprit, that a small package of papers had been found in a concealed pocket in the breast of his coat. ‘* Bring them to me,” said the governor. The papers were brought, and the governor, remembering the request of Captain Morton relative to them, dispatched them at once to that gentleman by post. ‘¢Well,” said Captain Morton, ‘‘ we will see what these papers consist of, and whether they throw any light upon the fate of the unfortunate Rouselli.” So saying, he undid the bundle, and began to examine them one after another, but they were of an entirely fragmental character, and apparently written at moments when the writer had committed some deed of a more than usually diabolical character, which seemed to have excited a degree of pleas- ure that could bave only been felt by one lost to all sense of humanity, and urged on by some deep-seated passion, which knew no satiety. Captain Morton took the first of these papers, and so on, read- ing them one after another, lest he should miss any one that was important to the object he had in view. The first ran as ollows: It is done! My first act of retribution—nay, of vengeance, if you will—has been performed upon my French enemies. Tono one of that hated race will I ever show mercy; but pour out their blood in all places, and under all circumstances, till as much blood shall be shed as would deluge the earth, and redden it till the day of judgment. It was after my first battle, while fighting in the Russian service against the French, who have my immortal hatred, that T have done this, my initiative deed, comicbooks. com