Beautiful Rienzi; or, The secret vendetta — page 260: what you’re looking at

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

BEAUTIFUL RIENZI. 255 The carriage came up, and we took our places; the path was so narrow that the driver had to lead the horses by the heads; sometimes the wheels could with difficulty jam past the close-advancin g trees. But we cameat last to the hovel, and poured out of the carriage, silent and eager. But I stood silently without, gazing at one object which told me all that need be told. I knew that that sweet face would shine no more out of the lifeless silence; that we had been too late, and God had seen fit to snatch our girl from us after all. My sister’s black silk scarf was trailed across the threshold to where the deep wheel-marks had cut circles in the mar shy sward. The cottage was empty. ‘Iva, child, no one is there,” said my father, coming out to me, and laying his hand heavily on my shoulder; ; “they’re one! And then he reeled, and was caught in the arms of his early friend, Doctor Pemberton. «Look for what tracks you can,” said the doctor, laying his patient on the grass, and anxiously bending over him; “never mind me, but see about pursuing them.” . Young Beaumont was coming out of the cottage last; his lips curved into a line of bitter agony; his eyes all hght and luminous fire, fixed eagerly on the ground. ‘‘'There!” he said, pointing, ‘‘they have taken that di- rection, and have fled over the mountains.” _ There was a faint track of wheels cutting the heath at the back of the house, and following it a few paces, a horse’s foot-print became discernible, though the ground got more flinty and the trees gradually opened; a few paces more, and Cecil Beaumont stooped and picked up a lady’s glove, and strode back to us. ‘‘Lend me a horse!” he said, passionately, ‘‘and I will overtake them; they have taken a mountain track, which if they can pass alive, doubtless leads into somé road not far off.” Almost before he had done speaking, the driver was di- vesting one of the horses of its harness, and fastening a saddle, which he dragged from the carriage box, upon its back! In unutterable excitement, the young man bounded into his seat, and sprang off, to be speedily lost sight of, among the trees. I was trembling mutely, with my father’s head in my lap, CORNUCG OOO S (©)