Beautiful Rienzi; or, The secret vendetta — page 223: what you’re looking at

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

918 ' BEAUTIFUL RIENZL nent suitors cannot be pawned upon her, should her friends choose to frown npon me.’ ‘‘T believe this last argument vanquished him; the idea of any one looking down the claims of a Joselyn, roused his instant antagonism; he was not enthusiastic like me, but he came, determined to prevent my new-found happiness from being dashed from my lips. ““We went to the Rey. Willard Melville, whose church we had attended during ourtwo months’ stay, and laid the facts of the case before him, He got us a license without difficulty, and prepared to acconipany us. His wife, woman- hke, sympathized with the lonely young bride and begged to be allowed to go with us, and be her friend on the occasion. So we returned ina cab, to the cottage, with the necessary documents and the two witnesses. ‘“'T'he cottage parlor was empty, a Bible on the table, flowers on every stand. Mrs. Melville went up stairs and tapped at the closed door which shut in my darling. In a few minutes they came down, my love trembling and cling- ing wistfully to her one female friend. ‘Oh! how lovely she was! The simplest of white robes clad her bewitching form; a single white rose, like curdled pearls, nestled in her bosom, a meet emblem of her girlish purity of heart. ‘¢In ten minutes she was bound to me, by the forms of the Presbyterian Church, in a tie which no man could break. My friend Pemberton and Mrs. Melville signed their names as witnesses; they all wished the new-made bride joy and prosperity, and my friend told her to write to him if any service could be given at his hands. ‘Then they all drove away, and left me one hour to spend with Isolina. ““¢Do you repent?’ I whispered, proudly. | ‘¢ ¢ No—oh, no,’ she answered, while her timid heart flew into her eyes; ‘not if you are satisfied.’ ” “‘T sat down, but not alone; my wife was clasped in my arms; those lovely, tremulous lips would never be another's; the heart beating so wildly, so timidly, was mine forever. What joy—and yet what cruel agony to recall the vanished sweetness now. | ‘‘ And yet I had to put aside these raptures, and make my hurried plans to render our enforced separation less painful. I made her promise to write me constantly, addressing her letters to Dr. Pemberton. Our little secret should be kept CORNUCG OOO S (©)