Beautiful Rienzi; or, The Secret Vendetta — page 114: what you’re looking at

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

BEAUTIFUL RIENZL 107 a close, cramped cell, whose iron bars were even stronger than Doctor Oaks’. Change of scefe and air had been deemed necessary for her recovery. Here was change of scene and air! Here were quiet and rest and soothing com- panionship! : The trial was appointed to take place on the last day of May, and for the limited time before us my father strained every nerve to help the counsel who had been employed to defend his daughter in gathering what facts they could re- lating to the murder. It was a discouraging task, from the utter absence of friendly witnesses, or even an explanation from the prisoner as data to goupon. They had to work on, almost without a foothold for defense, and with the most telling testimony against them. And through it all, my sister kept inpenetrable silence on the subject, nor com- mitted herself in the slightest to the astute and searching lawyer, who daily visited her. ‘The firmness which she displayed, united to extreme bodily weakness, was amazing. I need hardly say that I was with my sister every avail- able hour in her cell to comfort and cheer her. She was very quiet and gentle, and seemed to like me to be there; but that peculiar look of resignation, touched with thank- fulness, which I had seen in her face when first she heard she was arrested, still lingered there, as if she wanted to be sacrificed. . Once only she spoke of what was coming—one day when we were alone, and I had been wistfully seeking her confi- dence, ‘‘ Better for us all if I perish,” she said. ‘‘I would rather die; but, little Ivaniila, if I go—remember, [ shall tell you why!” Her weak hand pressing mine, her hollow eyes shedding looks of love upon me, made this promise strangely solemn to me. It was while affairs were at this crisis that we received a telegram from my mother, announcing that she was at Hali- fax, and would be home in two days. (e(0) comichooks