Beautiful Rienzi; or, The secret vendetta — page 217: what you’re looking at

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

212 BEAUTIFUL RIENZI, here three days already. What kind of face was it, and whose property?’ “<< Tt belonged to a lady who is of Mrs. Cranstown’s party, and they live at the ‘‘ Wood’s Nest.” ” ‘*«So ho! a fair Republican has slain you with one of her eyes!’ cried Pemberton. ‘ Bravo! and success to her!’ ‘“ But it was not exactly as the doctor imagined; I had been so deeply struck with the incomparable beauty of the lady’s face that I felt almost faint for some time after- ward, but I had no thought of wishing to claim it, I, the disgraced—the humiliated! Still, a desire seized me to transfer those lovely features to canvas, that I might have the never changing likeness to charm away my embittered thoughts by the dumb eloquence of its mild and innocent eyes. Mee] think Doctor Pemberton toiled to bring about the consummation of my wishes. In avery short time he was able to tell me where the ‘ Wood's Nest’ was, and the names of the five young ladies who formed Mrs. Cranstown’s party. In two days he introduced me in triumph to the chaperon herself, who was visiting some friends at the hotel where we staid, and we received a friendly invitation to accompany her then and there to’ the Wood’s Nest, which was a cottage two miles out of the little town. I shall never, while this heart is fresh, forget the emotions which rushed over me when my unknown queen of all beauty was presented to me as ‘ Miss Isolina Rienzi,’ and I held her small magnetic hand in mine. Something which had been lost for years came back to me; once more my heart, which had been frozen gall, melted to the sweetness of home. What I hoped, I could not tell. Her pure, modest eyes had revealed themselves to me, and I was happy. How swiftly the six weeks passed away! My faithful friend forbore to remind me in the slightest of the flight of time, but rather fostered my new-found interest by every act. He became an invaluable chaperon and con- fidant on all occasions to the merry girls, and I believe they scarcely cared to make up any little excursion or picnic without us. ‘“In this intercourse I rarely mingled, except on the out- skirts, as it were. It was bliss enough for me to study the sweet, retiring loveliness of Isolina Rienzi, among the gay, sprightly, or sentimental dispositions of her companions. COMICOOO S (©)