Beautiful Rienzi; or, The secret vendetta — page 263: what you’re looking at

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

258 BEAUTIFUL RIENZI, determined to join the army, and lose his life as his father had done. ‘‘He passed through New York on his way South, and beheld Ivanilla Rienzi on the wharf of a European steamer. As he was unaware of the rumor which was circulated of his death, he merely gazed at her sadly, not daring to speak, after the misery his family had been to her. “The same night he set off secretly to the seat of war, and obtained command of a regiment. A few days afterward he was astounded, on reading the New York papers, to see an account of the approaching trial of Miss Rienzi, with ample details of the story. He instantly wrote a note to the presiding judge, vindicating the young lady, and offering to appear, if such a course was necessary. But she was ac- quitted without such measures being required. ‘Putting his narrative and my own experience of the character of Gemma Lancinetto together, I determined to acquaint myself with her past history and plots. Before long [I found that it was the family of my own old friend, Guiseppe, who was being victimized, and I came to Rane- lagh just in time to save Mrs. Rienzi’s life from the machi- nations of the fair enemy who was presuming to claim poor Isolina as her daughter. ‘‘Mad, is she? Then Heaven has sent upon her the just vengeance which He withheld from our too eager hands. But that poor girl! Oh, why were we half an hour too , red — x * x * * + At midnight Cecil Beaumont galloped in, waking me up from a fitful slumber, my head on my father’s pillow. The rider strode in to the dreary cottage, and one glance at his cold, haggard face, told that he had failed. ‘“They have escaped,” he said, with almost the tone of a fatalist; “it was not for this wretched hand to bring resti- tution; the debt must stand, and Isolina must be the victim. Alas! why was I born to curse those whom I loved too well? Ivanilla, I have lost yon your sister.” | «<You, Cecil? Oh, do not blame yourself,” I sobbed, pressing his hand kindly. But the desperate look still lurked in his eyes, his thin, hollow cheek, and brow of passionate disappointment haunted me for years aiter- ward. | Our journey home through the night passed like a dis- COMICOOO S (©)