Angelina: Or, The Mystery of St. Mark's Abbey — page 197: what you’re looking at

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

isd ANGELINA; OR, could never be mine, and by dweiliag upon him, my pasion might increase to that ungovernable degree, that I might be tempted to swerve from my Gaty ; acd to my husband I bebaved in such a manner as could not leave him or my parents cause to reproach me. ‘*T was still living with my parents, and Rufus—the Baron de Morton heing at that time in London—was constantly with me, and he behaved to me with respect and kindness. However, in a few weeks, a letter arrived from the Baron, ordering Rufas to join him immediately in London, as it was uncertain how long he might remain there; and offering at the same time to take me into his service, so that my husband and me might be together. I need not say that Rafus gladly accepted of the offer; but the state of my mind, at the bare idea of my being separated from my parents, and being left to the entire control of my husband, whom in my heart I dreaded, may be imagined without much difficulty. But, what excuse could I offer for wishing to remain be- hind ?—No, I dare not raise any objection; and I could see from the dark looks, and contracted brow of Rufus, that the grief 1 evinced at the thoughts ef being about to leave home, cannes a strong feeling of resentment in his mind. ‘“* I will pass over the separation, which, as you may suppose, was ap affect- iag one. On the way to London, I did not notice mach change in the conduct of my husband. He behaved, in fact, occasionally with even more kindness than he had hitherto done, and endeavoured to reanimate my spirits; and, fearful of arousing his anger, I made a powerful effort to suppress the violence of my grief. ‘We arrived in London, and here too*sdéon aid Rafus alter his behaviour towards Me, and appeared in his true character—treating me more like a slave than a wife; and, indeed, without the least provocation, using me with the utmost brutality. He was continually upbraiding me for the preference 1 had given to Gilbert Merton, and he seemed resolved to gratify his revenge by incessantly tormenting me. This persecution was not confined to words alone, but more thaa once he struck me in the most savage manner 3 in fact, my life soon became almost unendurable. I did not complain to my parents, for I wished net to make them unhappy, and I knew how truly wretched my father would be to hear of my sufferings, and to know that it was he who had consigned me to them. No, I kept my sorrows confined te my own breast, and prayed to heaven to give me fortitude to support them. ‘¢The Baron de Morton filled me with disgust and dread the first time I had beheld him, and there were strange ramours afloat concerning him, which eaused him to be looked upon by his tenants and dependants, with terror, in- atead of esteem. These reports I will not repeat here, Miss, for, doubtiess, you have heard them; but I strongly suspect that they are too well founded. And wy husbend was his confidant at this time, his myrmidon, his createre, ready to do his bidding, and had been his accompilee, it was said, in all the nefarious transactions that were attributed to him. How dreadful were the pangs that racked my brain when I thought of this! and to this man was 1 united by the iadissoluble bonds of matrimony. It was dreadful to reflect upon, and I shrunk from it with a shudder. | «_ ‘i had ouly been married to Rufus a year, before I lost both my parents, COMIC OOOKS. EO