Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 48: what you’re looking at

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ELLEN PERCY ; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. 35 assumed another aspect: it was no longer exquisite in its appointments nor splendid in its draperies, its gilding, its sculptures, and its furniture: it struck cold and awful upon my soul, as if it were the gloomiest of dungeons, fraught with all the most terrible traditions of deeds of crime, trea- chery, and murder. Had I found myself sud- denly transported into a cell whence a howling maniac had just been conveyed away—and had my eyes fallen upon chains attached to the walls, rotting straw upon the damp pavement-floor, and massive bars at the windows, the revulsion of my feelings could not have been more powerful nor more fearful. From this dread state was I suddenly aroused by a knocking at the door of the chamber ; and the voice of the female-servant inquired whether I wanted anything? I proceeded to open the door; for I had fast locked it on the preceding evening. Catharine looked at me, evidently with some de- gree of surprise, as if she saw by my appearance that I had not been to bed all night, and as if she marvelled that my position should have so great an effect upon my mind. I said nothing, but issued forth from the chamber: I was determined at once to ascertain to what extent I was a prisoner in the house ; for if I were permitted to penetrate into the garden, I was resolved either to scale the walls, or else by my cries to bring the neighbours to my aid. Catherine followed me down the stairs; and throwing open the door of a back-parlour, she re- quested me to walk in. The room was elegantly furnished; and a table was spread for breakfast. A glance however showed me that it was only laid for one person. * Who is your master? and when will he be here P” I inquired. . , “The first question I cannot answer,” said the servant-woman : “to the second I can only reply that he will be here in the course of the day.” “J need no refreshment. Let me walk out in the garden, I am suffocating for the want of fresh air.” “You compel me to speak plainly, Miss,” re- joined Catherine. “You cannot go into the gar- den. Pray be tractable—or you will compel us to use means i “Enough!” I said, literally shivering with des- peration. “Spare your threats 2 *T must add one word,” said the woman,— “ which is, that the slightest attempt to raise any cries from the windows is “Enough! enough!” I ejaculated, stamping my foot vehemently. “I see that you are capable of anything!” I flung myself upon a sofa; and Catherine quitted the room. There was something so reso- lute in her countenance while she spoke, that I was frightened : I felt myself to be completely in the power of the inmates of that dwelling. Vague ideas of a terrible coercion had floated through my brain ; and I had no more power nor courage for any active measures than if I were under the in- fluence of a horrible nightmare dream from which, with the fantastic fearfulness cf such visions, I vainly strove to free myself. I touched nothing that was upon -the breakfast-table: I fell intoa state of torpor ;—all my energies were completely numbed, as if my very spirit itself was broken. Thus several hours passed away ; and I made no attempt to quit that room. At length I gradually woke up as it were from the stupor of utter de- spondency ; and now an idea struck me. Fool that I was, when alone in my chamber, not to raise the window and shriek out for assistance ! But it might not even now be too late ?—and in- spired by this wild hope, I issued from the breakfast-parlour, A porter was seated in the hall: he seemed to be dozing in his great chair, and apparently took no notice of me. I ascended the stairs: I reached the second floor ; and Cathe- rine came out of a room adjoining my own. I entered the latter: she followed me; and asif divining my intention, she said, “ Remember my injunctions, Miss! Your cries would be useless : we should find some pretext to account for them; and rest assured that you would not improve your condition.” She then walked away with an air of so much confidence in her power over me, that all my hopes vanished, and I again sank into utter despon- dency. I threw myself upon the sofa, and gave vent to my tears. As I presently wiped them away, my looks settled on the paper which had fallen on the carpet,—that fragment the contents of which were so awful, so harrowing! The ideas which that scrap of paper conjured up in my mind, were intolerable: for in the morbid state of my feelings, I could not help identifying myself with the maniac condition in which I believed that the writer of that letter must have been plunged. I started up, and thrust it along with the other papers into the drawer whence I had taken it. Scarcely had I done this, when my ear caught the sounds of footsteps in the ante- room. I turned round suddenly: the chamber door, which I had left ajar, opened; and Colonel Bellew made his appearance. A scream was about to burst from my lips, when a quick revulsion of feeling seized upon me. I was in a moment nerved with a strength of mind that astonished myself. * Begone, sir!’? I said: “dare not thus to in- trude upon my presence! There is law in Engs- land to punish this outrage of which you have been guilty !” It seemed as if the Colonel were astounded at the manner in which I addressed him; and my courage rose in proportion. “ Your myrmidons,” I continued, “ have obeyed your orders only too effectually, and have kept me a prisoner here. But yow will not dare bar my way |” While thus speaking, I hastily put on my bonnet and shawl; and still nerved with all the fortitude which the very desperation of my cir- cumstances had conjured up, I moved towards the threshold on which he stood. “No, by heaven!” he suddenly exclaimed, closing the door and placing his back against it; “you shall not leave me thus!—you shall hear me——yes, by heaven! you shall hear me! I was now overwhelmed with terror again: my mind underwent a quick transition—my courage vanished. “ Beautiful girl—adorable Ellen!” continued the Colonel, “I beseech you to listen to me! Drive me not to madness! goad me not to des- peration !” A piercing scream pealed from my lips; and at ct rr Shes COMIC oO) ;< Com