The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 69: what you’re looking at

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

fa THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. have you to assume my guilt? I might as well accuse you Qs “ot what?” she screamed. ‘‘ Speak—of what do you accuse me ?” . ‘‘Of murdering the traveler at the Morton Arms, Why, how dreadfully agitated you are!” ‘Oh! Thatisall. That is what you meant to say. Oh—I agitated—pho—pho! I am never agitated now. What could make you think that I was agitated ?” ‘You suddenly looked asif you were a maniac, but that is no business of mine. Dame Strangewayer, I have come to ask you a favor.” ‘* Who ever asks a favor of me with a thought that it will ever be awarded ?” ‘‘ It may be hopeless; but hear me, dame. I am innocent of the murder of the young traveler at the inn: but there were circumstances which made me seem guilty, and those circum- stances were, of course, contrived by the real criminal in order to shift the burden of his crime from his own shoulders on to mine. It is believed that he is lurking somewhere in the neigh- borhood, and more particularly is it believed that he has found a hiding-place about the old church.” “ About the church? There are no hiding-places about the church.” ‘‘ None that you or I know of, I dare say; but he may have found one, and what I want of you is the key for to-night, in order that I may keep watch there till the morning in silence and in secrecy.’ ‘You are innocent, or you could never wish for a moment to be the, long night in a church alone. Do you not fear the ead ?” ‘‘Not believing,” said Jem, ‘‘in superstitious fancies, I have no fears. Before 1 sank to what I now am, I was educated for better prospects in life. Villainy contrived to rob me of all but that knowledge which with no sparing hand had been given to me by one who loved me. It may be, that at times, ay, most commonly, I adopted the language, manners, and habits of the class to which I have fallen; but glances of what I was, will now and then break through what I am, and belp me to despise those thoughts and feelings which are, and should ever be, the sole property of the ignorant.” The old woman was silent for some moments, and then said in a tone of inquiry—‘‘ It is said in the village that no one knows your real name; isit true ?” “It is true.” ‘*'You much surprise me. May not J know it?’ ‘*T have determined to utter ittono one. You will, therefore, now excuse me, that Ido not make you an exception merely because I come to ask a trifling favor of you.” ‘*T should despise you were you to tell me for such a reason.” ‘I thank you for those words, and they give me some hope that ou will lend me the key,” ‘* You shall have it,” comicbooks. com