Angelina: Or, The Mystery of St. Mark's Abbey — page 245: what you’re looking at

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

333 ANGELINA; OR, liquor from the bottle inte the giass,—‘ the baron has doomed you to. —You may take your choice, either to swallow the contents. of Gs die by the poniard—it is a matter of indifference to me!’ «6 Let ms hasten over this revolting scene as quickly as poselble ; im yids te tilda supplicated ; ber prayers and her tears were alike unavailing, to a’ ch who was destitute of all sort of feeling ; and seizing the fatal glass, she com- mended her soul to Heaven, and drank the contents, Rufus standing over with the dagger pointed to her breast, while she drained it to the dregs. Her brain irgmediately seemed to whirl roend; flames appeared to flash before her eyes— a mist gradually gathered before them, and she remembered no more. “* When Matilda recovered her senses, she felt an icy chillness all-over her limibs, and a burning sensation in her head. She wasinvolved in complete dark- ness;—~bat feeling around her, her hand came in confact with damp stone wills, and she then recollected all that had passed, and imagined she was con- sigued to one of the ditua!l vauits underneath the castle, being sapposed to ‘be dead; but, after drinking the dreadful draught, what astonished and bewildered her more‘than all was, that she shonld be still alive; the only conclusion she could come to was, that the wretch, - Rufus, had made a mistake, and given her some strong opiate instead of poison. But; oh! how awful was her situation, enclosed, as she imagined, in that awfal place, where she would be left to perish of hunger. She wrung her hands in despair, and groaned aloud with the agony of her mind. She felt around the walis until her hands met the door, which, to her astonishment, was open; and with the speed: of lightning she emerged into the subterraneous passage beyond. She then found that she had conjectured right, that she was underneath the castle. So overjoyed was she, that she fell upon her knees and returned her most heartfelt thanks to Omaipo- tence, fer she knew she could easily regain her ifberty, being acquainted with all the secret passages with which this place abounded. She was not misteken, and in a short time found herself in the open air. Fer some time she remained .in a state of doubt and uncertainty in what manner she should act, bat at length she took her course through the wood, without having made up her mind as to what point she should direct her steps. It was but just the dawn of day, and upon the weakened frame of Lady de Morton the fragrant breeze came moat refreshing. “ At length she remembered that the cottage of her old nurse was situated _ on the skirts of the wood, and she resolved to hasten te her, and there seek @ shelter for the present, knowing that in her she could confide. She was not long in reaching the cottage, and the old woman was at first, very much alarmed,—for, thinking that Matilda was dead, she imagined it was her spectre she beheld. The peor old woman shuddered with horror when Matilda briefly related to her all that she had undergone; but a surprise, a delightful, and un- expected circumstance awaited Matilda, which at first was nearly the means of driving her mad. ‘¢ The daughter of old Margaret lived in the adjoining cottage to her, and about a month or two before, her husband—so Margaret informed Lady Me- tilda—in crossing the wood, heard the cries ofan infant, and coming up to the spot, saw a wieker basket lying upon the ground, which, on opening, a female infant, apparently but a few weeks old, met his view. He immediately took the child home to his wife, who had not long recovered from her confinement, COMIC OOOKS. EO