Beautiful Rienzi; or, The secret vendetta — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

34 BEAUTIFUL RIENZI. «Very well, Mr. Beaumont.” It would be difficult to describe the tone in which this brief colloquy was conducted—the quiet scorn on my sister’s part, the implacable defiance of the man. Both were deter- mined, yet one must yield; and which should it be? ‘‘T shall wish you good-evening, then, Miss Isolina,” said the gentleman, bowing profoundly. | She inclined her head. ‘* Good-night, little friend.” He took my hand, and obeying an irresistible impulse, I went with him to the door. — © You think my case hopeless,” he muttered rapidly, ‘‘ but you need not. I havea hold on her which will force her to listen. She will be glad to cling to me—see now if she is not.” With these portentous words he wrung my hand, pressed it to his hot lips, and withdrew. I came back to Isolina and flung my arms round her. “You must reconsider the question,” I cried, anxiously, ‘‘take him if you can—oh, do not rouse his desperate nature any further. He says he hasa hold on you, which will force you to listen.” - ‘‘A hold?” she repeated, incredulously, ‘‘“what hold has he —poor infatuated boy? Less than the meanest soul that ever sued for my favor—and yet more than you have, my dear little sister—closely knit as you are to me, more than he dreams of, unhappy boy. Pshaw! what am I saying? Non- sense, I believe. ‘'o-morrow willrid me of Cecil Beaumont, I promise you.” ‘Tf Lillia Meredith comes to-morrow she will only heighten the storm, Isolina.” My sister sighed wearily and despondingly. *« Poor little Lilly,” was all she said. | * 4 oe x * x The twenty-ninth of November. It came in through leaden banks of clouds, upon a white- draped earth. A white pall of snow had dropped slowly, through the night, upon the grim, iron-like streets; the feathery morsels flitted down all through the pallid day, muffling the heavy noises and loading the gaunt trees with sheet-white garlands. Gradually the rumbling car and carriage gave place to COMICOOO S (©)