Angelina: Or, The Mystery of St. Mark's Abbey — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

i2 ANGELINA 3 OR, was still— not even the slightest murmur arose from the waves—aa awfal silence like that of death appeared to reiga over everything. Sudden!y, how- ever, the storm arose—the waves roared and rolled, and dashed with incon- ceivable fary—the lightning blazed in the heavens, and casting its ghastly light across the broad expanse. of the ocean, revealed to her gaze a vessel! tossing and baitling with the waves! She fancied she heard the awful shrieks of the persons on board for help, and saw them clinging to the shronds to setard that fate which seemed to be inevitable! One moment more, one terrifie whistling through the waters was heard, and the vessel disappeared. Angelina imagined that, bound up to a pitch of distraction and desperation, she rushed te the ut-. most extent of the beach, till the waters washed over her feet, and the moment the form of a man was dashed ashore! She raised his head,-and the lightning darting across his face, shewed her the features ef a man which bore a remark~ able resemblance to the handsome stranger she had seen upon the rock, enly he was apparently much older, and seemed to be in the agonies of death. Fera moment, Angelina imagined in her dream, the expiriag man opened -his eyes, and fixing them affectionately upon her, exclaimed, “ Bless thee, my.child !"* and immediately fell into her arms a corpse. ‘In the terror and agen y of that mo- ment, she awoke. Scarcely conseiots where she was, and still trembling from the terror created by this my-terious dream, Angelina rubbed her eyes, but her canéle was barnt out, and the room was involved in utter darkness. Once more her seases be. came steeped in sleep, and agaim she dreamed. She now imagined herself at the entrance of the cavern, in. which she had sought shelter a night or two before; but the storm had abated--the waves were calm, and the form of the drowned man had disappeared. Suddenly raising her eyes to’ the rock which overhung the entrance to the Gaver she imagined she beheld in characters of fire the following words :-— © “* Enter here ; search well, and you will be rewarded f°’ Ina moment, she thought she entered the cavern, and a supersatunal light seemed to dance before her, and guided her way. Through. innumerable rocky caverns and subterraneous passages she imagined she walked, until at last she fonnd herself in a lofty gothic chamber, hung with- arras, in which were -the portraits of a lady and gentleman, the latter of whem was exactly like the drowned man she had seen in her previous dream. At one end of the room hung a coat of arms, on which she imagined was “‘a blood-staimed shield and a raven’s nest /’’ and casting her eyes tothe floor, she was horror struck ow be- holding that it was marked with stains of blood! She started back a few: paces when she saw this, and before she could recover, felt herself in a rude grasp ! Turning round, she discovered the ferocious features of a strange man, whose eyes were fixed awfully upon her, and he held a dagger in the air, which he prepared to plunge into her bosom. “*'Wretch | destroyer of my peace! curse of my hopes,” she 1 thought she heard him say, ‘‘ die!” She thought she struggled convulsively to escape from his hold,.but all her efforts were futile, the dagger’s point was within an inch of her besom, when suddenly a dismal groan was heard, which arrested the stranger’s arm, and a sepulchral voice ciied,— COMIC OOOlKS.CO