Beautiful Rienzi; or, The secret vendetta — page 150: what you’re looking at

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

BEAUTIFUL RIENZI. 145 many a heaving, comb- crested sparkle; to the right a scat- tered settlement of brown farm-houses cozily nestled in the valley; to the left a pyramid of wooded hills rose up, crowned with blue ether, and shut out the east winds. A pretty spot was the Ranelagh village—surely peace and safety reigned here! The hotel, by far the most pretentious edifice in the val- ley, was the ‘nearest house to the station, and was enlivened by a flaming sign covering the whole of the second flat, which informed us that ‘‘Old Sol” was going to enter- tain us. ‘Three young men who were shoveling earth into a cart at the side of the road suddenly disappeared behind the house, and were immediately after transformed into three waiters in white aprons, who lounged out to. the front balcony and watched us approaching. The landlord, with a broad, red, beaming face, and in a great hurry, came across a hay-field, and ushered us with a flourish into the house, where a young woman pounced upon us, and led the ladies of us into a very small bed- room. Sophie, after depositing my little company of pets on a table in the outer room, took off her things, tied on an apron from out of her pocket, and grimly beating out a large cat before her, whose yellow eyes were glaring with greed at the birds, found her way to the kitchen to see about some food for Isolina. We immediately divested our inv alid of her clothes, and made her lie down in the soft, downy bed, which smelled of sweet clover and thyme, and was white as pure bleach- ing on grass which never was besmoked, could make it. She was too exhausted even to speak ; the journey had been great for her small stock of str ength ; but she looked and smiled so placidly, that I could not but hope this sweet place would restore her in time, and we were much com- forted to see the wonderful appetite with which she ate the dainty little supper which Sophie brought in. Ten minutes afterward she was in a profound slumber. The sun was just dipping behind the hills when we en- tered the eating-room where our dinner waited us, and Sines my father was seated, in conversation with the land- lor <¢ Veg, sir,” the man was saving, **I think it would just suit you if it’s a house to hire for the summer, you’re after; CORNUCG OOO S (©)