Beautiful Rienzi; or, The Secret Vendetta — page 132: what you’re looking at

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

BEAUTIFUL RIENZI. 125 bounded amazement; the gentlemen on the bench were so engrossed they scarcely listened to the remainder of Bently’s cross-examination. ‘The emotions which occupied me on meeting my mother, who had been absent a year, banished for the first few minutes the impression which had been made upon me by seeing Cecil Beaumont, but while we repassed the signal-lamp, and indeed all the way up the wharf, I looked out of the window, hoping to see him.” ‘* And saw nothing at all like him?” ““I did see a gentleman in the same costume whom at first | thought 1 might have mistaken for him; but my father, who knows him, sent a note to him, asking if he was beneath the lamp beside our carriage that night, and an answer was returned in the negative.” ‘*Come, now—what’s the name of this gentleman?” ‘‘Captain Ruthven Ansehn.” **T would like very much if the learned gentlemen of the jury could see that letter.” ““T have the honor of gratifying the counsel for the pros- ecution,” said Mr. Speingle, blandly, taking a note from my father. Smiling, the judge rose and spoke : ‘<'This trial has come to avery unexpected conclusion. A letter has been handed to me, which at once acquits Miss Rienzi of murder or of intent to murder, in so far as it is written by the supposed victim himself. I shall read the few words : ‘‘Srr:—I heard this hour that Miss Isolina Rienzi is on trial for the murder of Cecil Beaumont. At once acquit her; she is perfectly inno- cent of any wrong toward him. He was not killed in hisown mad leap into Crag’s Brook. If this is insufficient to clear her name, the writer can give further proofs of the truth of his statement. Along with evi- dence that Ivanilla Rienzi can give, concerning what she saw at the Atlantic wharf, I think it is sufficient. Ceci BEAUMONT,” A ringing cheer drowned the judge’s voice; Bently rolled up his brief and threw it into his hat; the jurymen stamped their feet like boys hearing of a holiday. “<‘ Order!” bawled the ushers, and the trial ended in con- fusion. My sister was now summoned to appear. She came in this time leaning on our kind physician’s arm, and a sub- Gomichbooks (e(@)