Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 200: what you’re looking at

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

eS al a Ae ee ee eae ‘ SS, ° ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS, i i ne 187 The driver opened the door : I alighted, and paid him his fare—upon receiving which he instanta- of London and in the broad daylight: but those | who know the metropolis well, will comprehend neously mounted the box and drove away. Being | that such a proceeding was quite possible ; and ignorant of the precise whereabouts of the spot | my own experiences have made me aware how where he had thus set me down—for I had vaguely bidden him take me to the neighbourhood of Clare Market—I looked along the street; and I now perceived that another cab had stopped immediately behind the place whence the one that brought me had just driven away. The door of that vehicle was open; and a couple of men were getting out. Their appearance struck me as suspicious and sinister: they looked not as if it quite befitted their circumstances to ride in a cab. I was moving away, when one of them hastily accosted me, say- ing, “Are you looking for any particular place, Miss ?” I felt frightened; for although it was in the broad daylight, yet the street itself was of so low, poor, and ill-looking a character that the idea struck me that any respectable female might be there insulted without the hope of succour. The man who had accosted me, was dressed in coarse apparel: he was dirty and unshaven; and me- thought he had avillanous aspect. His companion —who was even more repulsive in appearance than himself—had now approached so as to be close be- hind him ; and I saw that they both eyed me ina peculiar manner. I hastily gave a response to the question which had been put; and hoping that my answer would rid me of this suspicious company, I turned away. But what now followed was the work of an in- stant. No doubt a sign was made to the driver of the cab which had brought the two men; for it immediately drew alongside the pavement, to the very spot where I had just turned away: a hand was placed over my mouth—a powerful arm was thrown round my waist—-and the eye had scarcely time to wink before I was inside the vehicle. One of the men entered with me: indeed it was he who had thus suddenly lifted me into it; and producing a pistol, he said in a determined voice, “ Dare to give utterance to a word, and I'll dash your brains out with the butt-end !” He pulled down the blinds: his companion had already slammed the door; and the cab drove rapidly away. ieee CHAPTER XXXIV THE OLD FARM-HOUSE, I was so terrified by the words which the villain had just spoken—and he seemed so thoroughly capable of executing his hideous menace—that the shriek which had risen to my lips died away ; and I felt as if I were about to faint. The man sat opposite to me, holding the pistol by the barrel, and looking as if he were in readiness to deal the threatened blow if the slightest sound should issue from my lips. Not contented with assuming this menacing demeanour, he went on giving ut- terance to threats so horrible, in case I should cry out, that my brain seemed to be turning with the sense of the fearful position in which I was placed. Some of my readers may perhaps marvel that such an outrage could have occurred in the very midst deeds of this kind can be perpetrated, even with facility. The vehicle rolled rapidly along; and as the blinds were closed, I could not tell in which direc- tion it was proceeding, though my fears suggested that it might be towards St. Clair’s house; for I naturally surmised that he was the instigator of the outrage. It was some time however before I could collect my bewildered and affrighted thoughts, or in any way calm down the terrible agitation I experienced. Then numerous harrowing ideas swept through my mind. Could it be possible that the wickedness of my persecutors—for I now asso- ciated Lady Lilla Essendine with Edwin St, Clair —could have reached such a pitch that they in- tended to make away with meP Or was I to be held captive until some other villany, which I would sooner die than endure, was consummated P In any case what would become of poor Beatrice ? what would the Marchioness think of my pro- longed absence after the promise I had given to return P For, Oh! even amidst the frightful perils which seemed to threaten myself, I was not without thought for others. The vehicle drove at a rapid rate, as I have already said; and I began to reflect whether it would not be better for me to risk anything at the hands of the villain who was sitting opposite, than to resign the only chance of bringing persons to my assistance. I was on the very point of giving vent to a piercing scream for help, when the wretch —who had for the last few minutes remained silent—appeared suddenly to divine my thoughts. With a terrible imprecation he lifted the pistol,. declaring that he would beat out my brains with- out pity and without remorse, if I dared to cry out. I sank back appalled, speechless, and powerless, beneath the weight of an overwhelming conster- nation. Some time again elapsed before I could collect my ideas; and then the man, peeping through the blind, said with a grim smile, “ Your chance is past now, Miss: for we are outside of London.” “Suffer me to depart,” I said, mustering up courage to address the fellow, “and I will re— ward you handsomely !” The man shook his head, and observed, “It won't do, Miss; and you'd better hold your tongue.” In spite of this injunction, I continued to urge ana plead, entreat and implore, until the man cut me short with a savage command to be silent. [ again sank back in the vehicle, well nigh spirit- broken: I felt so truly wretched that death itself would have been welcome—and all my taste for life seemed gone! An hour, perhaps, had altogether elapsed from the moment when I was thrust into that vehicle, —when it stopped. The man drew up the blinds; and I saw that I was in the open country—but in which neighbourhood of London I was utterly ignorant, The cab had halted at the door of a house, which was large, but of dilapidated appear. ance, It seemed as if it were an old-fashioned farm homestead, with high pointed roofs, and CORNIELAOO cS (E OLN