Angelina: Or, The Mystery of St. Mark's Abbey — page 196: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERY OF 8ST, MARK’S ABBEY. 483 thoroughly made MPs | and in a week prepare te become the Wife ef Rufus Baynard !’"— ‘* He quitted the room as he uttered these words, and my mother who had stood silently by all the time this brief dialogue was going on, endeavoured to calm the violence of my grief, but I was completely incensolable. What- ever could haye made my father po crueli—he whe had previous to this, ever been so kind aad indulgent to me, I could not form the slightest con. jecture as to the cause; bat to become the wife of Rufus, & could not bear to think upon without the utmost feelings of disgust ahd horror. ‘¢ I did not leave my chainber the whole of that day and the néxt, for I felt, really, too ill, and during that time my mother was almost constaatly with me, and did her utmost to endeavour to compose nie, aad reconcile my mind to that circamstance. which she said she was convinced my father was determined Should take place. From her I learned that my fathér had had an toterview with Gilbert atter he was made acquainted by Rufus of our intendéd dlope- ments but what had takea place between them sae could not inform me, aithough be had told her that ‘he thought he had pata stop to the annoyance of Gilbert for the future, and that he did not think there was much fear of anything occurring to prevent my becoming the wife of Rufus Baynard.’ “* Qa the evening when me and Gilbert met by appointment, Rufus whd happened to be passing by the apet where we were seated; had observed ts, and concealing himself behind some trees, overheard the whole of the conver sation which passed between us, and he thus was enabled to thwart the stra- tagem we had formed in the manner I have described. 1 have often wondered since, how be could restrdin his rage sufficiently to prevent him from seéking a deadly vengeance upon his rival either at that tinie or at some future period ; but he did hot, and I have seen him sevetal times since my unhappy marriages and although I always endéavoured to avoid him, and have bever ehverdd into conversation, I could see from his paltid cheek, and stinken eye, that the can- kerworm of care was preying upon bisheart! Alas! I can judge of his suffer- ings from what my own have been: Bat 1 ani becoming tedious, t fear. “** E will not attempt te describé to yda what { endured the fow days only ' that intervened between me and future misery ; my father remained inexor- ables I was forced to the altar, and became the wife of Rufus Baynard, a tah from whom I have experienced the treatment ofa brute. Four several weeks, I was scarcely conscious of what was passing aro uid me; and in my moméats of sensibility, when the recoilection tiiat mg fate was sealed, rashed upon my memory, | prayed to heaven that I might not survive, to undergd the trou. bles which my mind foreboded were ia store for me. I must, however, do my husband the justice to say, that he behaved to me with great kiadaesé duritig this period, and paid me the utmost attention; but he was 46 abhorrent to my feelings that I shuddered whenever he approached me. ‘* Ing few weeks the vélhemence of my grief was id some measure abated, and I endeavoured to meet my fate with resignation, sidce I kiiew ic wae sealed past recall. My sorrow had subsided into a calmed, but settled melan- choly, and £ endeavuured to perform the dates ef a wife in such a manne as my conscience could approve of. I suceeeded in a way which bas olteit since surpriged mé to think upon. I endeavoured te forget Gilbert, since ‘he GOMMGIOO 1(GO)