Angelina: Or, The Mystery of St. Mark's Abbey — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

72 ANGELINA; OR, un the heads of her dear friends, she threw herself on the bed without un- dressing, and was soon locked in the arms of sleep. She could not form any conjecture of the time she had thus been sleeplog, but she was suddenly aroused in a similar way to what she had been the night before, and was positive she was not this time dreaming, Once more she felt like the icy touch of the hand of a cerpse upon her arm, and as her blood curdied with horror, she jumped from the couch, and at that moment 4 piteous sigh seemed breathed close to her ear, and she just caught the glimpse of what appeared to be some light shadowy form, which eres to flit past hes with the speed of lightning. ‘‘ Great God, protect me!” exclaimed the terrified maiden falling upon her knees, and covering her face with her hands; the moment after her senses left her. When she recovered, she had but an tedistinct recollection for a minate or two of what had occurred; but too soon it rushed upon hef memoiy with all the full force of its horror, and the blood seemed to curdie in her veins. The light in the lamp shed but a feeble ray, and made the objects in the room appear more gloomy and indistinct. Oh, how Angelina regrotied that she had mot remained in the same state of unconsciousness till daylight. But her thoughts were soon directed to something else. Suddenly, she imagined she heard a noise in the next room, the door of which she had closed, but could mat fasten it on the inside, owing to some accident having occurred to the lock. She listened with breathless horror, and again was almost positive that she heard a sound, something like a person stealing gently across the floor. Her heart throbbed with the most intense terror, but she was completely paralized to the chair on which she had sunk. Again, all was still, and after the lapse of a few secends, Angelina tried to imagine she bad been deceived, and that the noises were only those created by her own pertorbed imagination. She began to revive a little, and rising from her chair, almost took courage suficient to walk to the room door. She did move a step or two forward, but started back with renewed alarm, when she again distinctly heard the tread of a foot in the adjoining room. Nota moment was given her for reflection, when the door of her chamber was gently and cautiously opened, and An- gelina screamed with uncontroulable affright, when she saw Rufus, bearing in his hand a light—standing at the entrance. No sooner did the ruffian behold her, than he mattered something between his teeth, extinguished his light, aod Angelina was so overcome by the force of her terrors, that she was unable to move or speak, but stood gazing into the next room with a vacant stare. [¢ was evident now that her death was determined upon, and that the villain Rafus had gone to her chamber that morning for the very purpose of putting the dreadfal deed into execution. She was about to give way to the most horrible feelings of despair, when, suddenly, she felt a strong current of wind blowing in upon her, and looking towards tha door of the front apartment, what was her astonishment to behold it standing wide open ?—Rufas in the confusion of the moment had forgotten to close it after bim. COL @ NOOKS COM