Beautiful Rienzi; or, The secret vendetta — page 158: what you’re looking at

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

BEAUTIFUL RIENZI. 153 ‘*Tell me how.” ‘Well, miss, Ill tell you “Mrs. Haller!?? IT sprang aside with a scream. Ralph was at my elbow looking at the housekeeper with a lurid scowl. ‘‘T have cut my hand—come and bind it up.” ‘©Good lack!” muttered the old woman; ‘‘ whatever set the man to chopping up his hands—jist when there's some use for them!” She hurried to a drawer and picked out some linen rags, while the gardener started out again, and waited in the court-yard, leaning against the well. : ‘T hope it ain’t bad,” said Mrs. Haller; “for I do hate idle men around, like pison.’ I stood beside the sputtering oven and gazed intently through the window, as she followed the man out. Ralph still kept his hand thrust into his bosom, and im- patiently elbowed her away when she extended her band- age; then he began to speak with angry, threatening ges- tures, and from astonishment, Mrs. Haller’s face changed to something very like anger, and she gave her muslin frills an indignant toss and turned to enter the kitchen; butthe man clutched her by the shoulder, and with the sudden glare ofa wild beast at the window, dragged her out of sight, and I ceased to hear even their voices. I stood alone in the cheery kitchen, a cowering, dis- comfited pain in my heart, which robbed me of all courage. In ten minutes Mrs. Haller came in, and very, very quietly slipped about her work for some minutes, saying nothing. Her kindly old face was grave and pale; her hands trembled a little in spite of her. © Was the cut very deep? ?” T asked in covert scorn. “Oh, no, miss—oh, no,” she answered, with unnecessary earnestness. ‘© Will you please tell me the rest about Mrs. Ringwood, now?” I remarked, not daring to look up. — A low sigh heaved Mrs. Haller’s bosom. _« There’s nothing to tell; I hadn’t ought to have said anything, my dear,” she said, very quietly. ‘Perhaps it is “something which concerns us?” I per- sisted. ‘* No, nothing, miss. Please don’t ask me nothing; that’s CORNUCG OOO S (©)