Angelina: Or, The Mystery of St. Mark's Abbey — page 203: what you’re looking at

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

12) , ANGELINA 3 OB, she reflected upon the misery Hugh Clifford was very likely enduring: “and when I think of that circumstance, my heart again sinks with despuir. Bot, why do you look so earnestly at me, Bridget ?” Bridges bad been for the last few minutes looking most steadfastly in the coyntenance ef our heroine, and then she would remove her gaze from ber, and. fix it on the portrait which had so deeply interested Angelina. ‘¢ Pardon me, Miss,” she ebserved, in answer to the interrogatory tbat had been put to her by Angelina; ‘“‘ but I cannot help noticing the extraordisary-— likeness there is hetween you and the portrait. Any person, I’m sure, might — take it for the likeness of your sister.—Do you not think so 2?” Angelina felt a strange and indefinite feeling come over her, when Bridge put this question to her, and she could not at first return any answer. ‘I cannot say that I have observed ¢his,’’ at length she replied; ‘‘but I have noticed a particular resemblance which it bears to——”’ Angelina could not finish the sentence; but she meant to bave said, the phastom which she had seen in the vaults of St. Mark’s Abbey.—‘‘ I confess, Bridget,’” she continued, “ that the painting has much interested me :—-whom is it sup- posed to represent P”’ | ‘“Ah! Miss,” replied Bridget, ‘* that portrait represents one of whom I haye often heard my mother speak in the most unbounded terms of affection, and about whose fate there hangs a mystery, which, probably, time may solve.” ‘s And who may that be, dear Bridget?” inquired Angelina, eagerly. “It is the portrait of Lady Ophelia de Morton,’’ answered Bridget; “a jady, no less famed for her beauty than her numerous virtues.” ‘‘Was she not the wife of Lord de Morton, the brother of the present baron 2?” asked Angelina, whese interest was greatly excited, and who was curious to Jearn all the particulars she could. ‘Tt was: and much to the astonishment of every one, when her husband died, she became the wife of his brother, a short time afterwards,’ answered ' Bridget. ‘* This was the more surprising, asthe baron had slways been looked upen by her, during the lifetime of his brother, witha repugnance amounting to abhorrence; and, notwithstanding the many strange rumours that were pro- pogated concerning the mysterious disappearance of Lord Algerton, and the subsequent discovery of his death, but which was never properly explained.” ‘‘ It is very strange—quite unaccountable,” observed Angelina. “* And, was not the lady in the famity way, at the time that she accepted the hand ef the baron ?”’ ‘* She was; and was soon afterwards delivered.” *¢ And shortly afterwards died suddenly ;—was it not so ?”” asked our hereine. ° “True,” answered Bridget s ‘but there was much mystery attendant tpon her death, also; and I have often heard my poor mother say, with a shake of the head, that she was afraid that she had net come fairly to her end. Et is very Clear, that some siuister means must have been adopted by the Baren de Morton, to indace her to become his bride; and it is said, that he used the poor lady in a most cruel manner.” ‘* And what became of the child 9” = ©. we »- |: \ ; ecommicoookKks 1(GO)