Beautiful Rienzi; or, The secret vendetta — page 107: what you’re looking at

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

102 | BEAUTIFUL RIENZI. his brains meanwhile; ‘‘and—if you had used your eyes as well as your curiosity, you would have seen something.” “Well, sir?” ‘‘“You would have seen me go there before dinner—this was the hour of my first visit—and be called away almost immediately to attend a case, which did not release me until barely in time for my supper at Mr. Rienzi’s house.” They were staggered, but not convinced; however, the doctor was impenetrable, and they let him go with an apology. At six o’clock in the morning, a young man, neatly dressed like a druggist’s clerk, with a bottle sealed up in white paper sticking out of his pocket, accosted the parlor- maid as she was down at the gate, cleaning the brasses. ‘‘ Here is the medicine for the young lady,” he said, hand- ing her the bottle. She took it immediately and went with it to the house. . ‘¢ Doctor Graves told me to ask how she was?” called out the young man; ‘‘he said I was to take back an exact ac- count.” «Her pa sat up with her till four o’clock, and she was the same way then. Miss Ivanilla is watching now, and was to ring if any change happened; but she hasn’t rung et.” ’ Having obtained the information he was in quest of, the young man, who was in truth employed by the detectives, hastened away, and Hester carried the bottle up stairs and delivered it to Sophie. She, seeing written upon it, ‘‘To be taken at 8 P. M.,” and all unaware of the grim joke which the dowble entendre implied, carefully laid it on the hall table, to be carried in at 8 o’clock. In half an hour three detectives entered the house, armed with a warrant for Miss Rienzi’s arrest. Unfortunately for that prompt obedience which ought ever to walt upon the mandates of the law, another war- rant was just now in waiting for the accused, and so a short time was required to decide which power might arrest her first. For until Azrael, the Angel of Death should roll up his parchment writ and cry her acquitted, none might enter the circle which His shadow cast over her, to lay hand of human vengeance upon her. A declaration was written by Doctor Graves, and signed CORNUCG OOO S (©)