Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 242: what you’re looking at

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

—_—_———_——— ELLEN PERCY} OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. 229 place—the board was placed over me like a coflin- lid—and the cushion above it like a gay pall. But I could breathe freely—and that was sufficient. William retired ; and shortly afterwards Captain St. Clair and Lady Lilla Essendine entered the cabin, They at once began to speak in reference to the machinations which they had in view. I learnt from their conversation that some days be- fore Mr, and Mrs. Norman left London, St. Clair had ascertained—I know not how—that their des- tination was Ramsgate; and he had of course sur- mised that you were to be with them in this town during their sojourn of a few weeks. Then it was that St. Clair had immediately sent to Dun- kirk to order his yacht to come to Ramsgate, his intention being to inveigle you on board by some stratagem, or else to seize upon and convey you thither by force at the first opportunity. But it appeared that your immediate departure from Ramsgate after your arrival, had to a certain ex- tent baffled the conspirators; and it was equally certain that they had been vainly endeavouring to ascertain whither you were gone. But as Mr. and Mrs. Norman continued here, they conjec- tured that it was tolerably sure you would return, for that you had most probably gone to pay a flying visit elsewhere. Thus they discoursed to- gether ;—and then, Miss Percy, you may conceive the horror which smote me when I discovered that those wretches were plotting your death! They spoke of the knowledge which you had of certain secrets the revelation of which would be most fatal to themselves~and which, though you had hitherto kept silent, you were certain sooner or later to reveal. Then they talked of some sealed packet in which you had enclosed a statement of those secrets—and which packet you had deposited with some friend to whom you had given specific instructions with regard to the contingencies in which the packet was to be opened. Lady Lilla Essendine said that she had so accurately studied your handwriting, from certain letters which she had at different times received from you at a period when you were on amicable terms, that she felt assured she could pen a note, in your name, which should suc- ceed in deceiving even your most intimate friends, The object of such a note, as far as I could understand from their conversation, was to be twofold a * Ah! and I can also comprehend full well,” I exclaimed, “ what those objects were! But pro- ceed, Beda: tell me the tale in your own way— it would be better that 1 should hear it all from your lips than fill up any portions with conjec- tures of my own.” “Yes, Miss,” continued the gipsy girl: “ there were evidently two distinct objects. ‘The first was to make it appear to Mr. and Mrs. Norman that you had voluntarily withdrawn yourself from their protection, and that you had gone away with some one to whom your heart was given, so that they should not institute any inquiries after you. The second object was that the sealed packet might shortly come into the possession of the con- spirators - ** And thus the letter was so adroitly worded in respect to the disposal of all my effects, wherever they might be !” Y “Yes, Miss,” proceeded Beda: “ and inasmuch —e ommend we se eer ee Se SO eee eee as Captain Sé. Clair and Lady Lilla Essendine had utterly failed to discover where you have been staying for the last few days, they were compelled so to word the billet that it should seem to allude in a casual but natural way to your late residence ; so that if it should happen that you left any of your boxes or effects at any other place, they might all be collected together by Mrs. Norman and re- tained in readiness to be given up to a messenger whom St. Clair purposed to send to receive them. Ah! you know not, Miss Percy, how minutely Captain St. Clair and Lady Lilla Essendine dis- cussed all the details of their plan, weighed all the chances of success, and calculated all the risks. But there was one thing which struck me; and this was that they spoke not to each other with any degree of friendliness. Linked though they evidently were in the horrible intimacy of crime, there was yet no intimacy of the heart: but on the contrary, it rather seemed as if they were two enemies who were stifling their mutual ani- mosities and setting aside their own reciprocal hatreds, in the presence of one tremendous exigency in which they had an identical interest.” “ Yes, you are right, Beda !” I exclaimed : “ it is so! But proceed, my dear girl: I am still full of suspense.” Ah! the greater part of my narrative is now told,” responded Beda: “ yet the most hideous part is to come. I shudder dear Miss Percy, when I think of it; and you yourself will be as much astonished as horrified when you come to learn how exquisitely refined was the ingenuity of that dark villany which was meditated against you. The yacht, as I have already said, was purchased in France ; and Captain St. Clair had very excels lent reasons for thus seeking a vessel in a foreign dockyard—because, when purchased, there were arrangements to be effected which he was careful to veil in as much mystery as possible. All that I am about to tell you, Miss Percy, I gathered from the conversation which took place between that wicked man and his equally infamous accom- plice. It appears that he lavished gold amongst the shipwrights at Dunkirk : he bound them over to the strictest secrecey—he himself bore an as- sumed name while thus dealing with them; and he gave them to understand that the vessel, under the guise of a yacht, was in reality destined for contra- band purposes on a most extensive scale. He re- presented that in case of danger from the English revenue-cruisers, while pursuing his smuggling avocations, he was determined to scuttle the ship rather than be captured; but at the same time he wished to have the means of achieving this object without the knowledge of his crew—so that there might be no chance of interference on their part. Hence the arrangement which I am about to de- scribe. So far as I could comprehend, a species of water-tight trap-door was fashioned in the bottom of the vessel, just beneath the larger cabin ; and by means of a simple apparatus—merely that turning iron handle—the trap-door could be opened.” “Good heavens, Beda!” I exclaimed, starting up in affright and consternation from my seat, as I all in a moment comprehended the sinister mys- stery of the proceedings which I had so lately wit- nessed on board the yacht: “then your friend William has sunk the vessel !” ET _— eee pan a mt ee —— Be osm, Be ee ee CORNIECLAOO Se Gom