Angelina: Or, The Mystery of St. Mark's Abbey — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSIERY OF 8ST, MARK’S ABBEY. 6i Bridget, and forcibly tearing herself away from the hold of our wretched heroine ;—** My God, should Rafus—” © “* Now then, what's all this rumpus about?” said a graff voice, and the next instant the villain Rufus entered the room. ‘I tell you what it is, young lady ,” continued he, “*if I hear any more of this nonsense, you ghal! have good reason to repent it. I shall then become your attendant instead of this foolish woman, and I doubt much whether you would have any cause to admire the ¢hange. These romantic flights are of no use here. Follow me, woman!” With these words, Rufus and his wife retired, and secured the door after them as it had been before. Bet Angelina had act heard the latter part of the ruffan’s threat; wrought up to the highest pitch of misery, she had fallen into a kind of stepor, and with her bands clasping her forehead convulsively, she remained on her knecs, and akered not her position for some time. When she at length recovered from this stato of apathy, she perceived the door which Bridget had unlocked standing wide open, and arising from her knees, entered the chamber. It was small, but neat, and there was a very clean bed in one corner of it, placed upon a handsome bedstead. On ene side of the apartment was the full length portrait of a gentleman in armour, and which seemed to be very old. Ona shelf in a gmall recens, were several volames of books, which were very dusty, and did not appear to have been touched for some time. There were two windows to this chamber, and they were much lower than the one in the other room, but were strongly barred. Our heroine approached one of them, and could porceive that it commanded an extensive view as far as the cliffs. This afforded her a slight ray of consolation, fur she might gain a temporary relief from the misery of her thoughts in the contem- plation of the wild beauties of nature. A neighbouring bell now tolled forth the hour of midnight, and its solemn tones struck upon the ear of Angelina, like the death knell for some departed spirit. She returned to the other room and trimmed the lamp for the idea of being left in the dark in that strange and dismal place, struck terror to her heart. She reflected upon the dreadful anguish her kind friends were now suf- fering at her mysterious disappearance, and ber own agony became ines pport- able. The viands which Bridget bad brought remained untouched upon the table, for even had she felt inclined to eat, she would have been afraid to bave partaken of them, for a dreadful suspicion haunted her mind, that they were poisoned, Exhausted as she was with the agony of her thoughts she dreaded fo retire to the couch, for what was there to secare her from the intrusion of any person in the night? And now, amid the pauses of the wind which moaned dismally along the different passages and galleries of the tower, she lis- tened wit breathless attention, but all was as still as death. Again she implored the protection of the Almighty, aad arose from her knees more com- posed and re-assured. At length, completely worn out, she conquered her fears in some degree, and retiring to the chamber secured the door as well as she could inside, and threw herself upon the bed. An irresistable drowsiness sud- denly stole over her senses, and she fell asleep. How long she had slept she knew not, but she was suddenly aroused by feeling something like the icy pressure of a hand upon her arm. She started from the bed, her whole frame convulsed with terror, and drops of perspira- (SO) cCoMmmicaooks