Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 109: what you’re looking at

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

96 a ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS, eee QO (OO —————————————— staircase,—the old woman continuously expressing her fears “that our bootiful dresses would get kivered with dust;” so that I was more and more convinced that she had some reason for wishing to get speedily rid of us. I whispered something to this effect to Juliet,—who said in reply, “ Perhaps the old couple fear that if the property be sold, they will cease to live rent free and have the run of the garden; so that they endeavour to set persons against it to the utmost of their ability.” “Yes—this must be the solution of the mys- tery,” I said, also in a low tone. ‘We now reached the drawing-room floor: we entered apartment after apartment—dilapidation was everywhere fast merging into utter ruin. “We will go up to the next floor,” I said; for though I had by this time fully determined upon ceasing to think of Willowbridge as an estate to be purchased, yet I could not help feeling a certain satisfaction in annoying the old woman whom I looked upon as being so selfishly anxious to get rid of us. I saw that she looked excessively annoyed : Juliet likewise remarked the circumstance; and she smiled significantly at me. We ascended to the next floor: room after room did we enter, until only one apartment on that floor was left unvisited. As we drew near it, methought that a strange odour came stealing upon my nose,—a strong pun- gent sickly smell, as if of some chemical material. I saw that Juliet also observed it; and as we glanced at the old woman, we perceived that she was now excessively troubled. The odour evi- dently came from the interior of the apartment which we had not entered, and into which she did not offer to introduce us. “ Well, ladies, d’ye think you have seen enough P You’d better come down stairs and walk in the garden to eat some of Jan’s nice strawberries,” said the hag. *‘ But why have you not opened this door?” I asked; and I put my fingers upon the handle. “It’s locked,” said the old woman curtly: “ you can’t get in there. It’s only a store-room where Jan keeps things—and he’s got the key.” “A very strange odour emanates from your hus- band’s stores,” I said. “ But it is of no conse- quence! We of course will not intrude where our entrance would prove inconvenient or disagree- able.” We prepared to descend the stairs; and the dame’s countenance brightened up. On reaching the garden, Juliet and I readily accepted the invi- tation to partake of some of the fruit—for we were wearied and thirsty, and the noxious odour up- stairs had left a most unpleasant taste in our throats. We saw old Jan exchange a rapid glance of intelligence with his wife: but it would seem that the look she threw on him was completely re- assuring—for his countenance brightened up some- what, and he became particularly civil as he con- ducted us through the garden. We remained there about half-an-hour: we then took our leave of the old couple, having liberally remunerated them for whatsoever trouble we had given and for the fruit which we had eaten. “T have renounced all thoughts of purchasing this little estate,” I said to Juliet, as we wended our way towards the gate leading into he main road. “You are right, Ellen,” answered Lady Fre- derick Ravenscliffee “But I wonder why that apartment was shut up, and what that strange odour could have been? I am almost inclined to think that the old couple must have had some deeper and more serious motive than the mere apprehension of losing their situation rf “Yes, I think so likewise,” I observed: “ for the old woman was evidently most anxious to pre- _ vent us from ascending to the higher storeys ; and her look was very peculiar when we stood at the door of that apartment.” “It is some little mystery,” said Juliet, “ which will doubtless never be cleared up to our know- ledge. But Ah! there is some one following us!” She had happened to look back towards the Manor, and she caught sight of the object which evoked this ejaculation from her lips. I now glanced behind; and I beheld some gentleman coming along the carriage-drive, but still at so great a distance behind us as to render it impossible for us to discern his features. “It may be some one,” I said, “ who is thus taking what may be a short cut across the Willow- bridge estate, from one point to another.” “ Yes—it must be something of that sort,” said Juliet ; “ for there are assuredly no accommodations at the Manor for a well-dressed gentleman as this appears to be unless indeed,” she added with a smile, “it be the mysterious apartment into which, like the heroine in the Blue Beard story, we were forbidden to enter.” We reached the gate leading into the road; and as we closed it behind us, we perceived, while glancing back, that the gentleman was now cut- ting diagonally across the field, in a manner which must bring him into the main road at a point con- siderably lower down, and therefore nearer to the village, than that where we were thus entering that road. “One would almost be inclined to think,” said Juliet, “that having failed to overtake us down the pathway, he is now trying to intercept us on | our way to the village.” “For what earthly purpose could he do this,” I asked, “ unless to speak to us in an insulting man- ner? And that is barely probable—for at this distance he has not seen our faces.” “No,” said Juliet: “and yet does it not really seem as if he had a motive in some way connected with ourselves P” * Don’t be foolish, my dear friend,” I interjected. “Come—let us make the best of our way into the village, where we will take some luncheon at the little inn and then return to London.” We accordingly continued our way along the road, which was slightly circuitous. As we turned a winding which had a larger sweep than any other, we suddenly came upon a stile at the very spot to which the diagonal path that the gentle- man had last pursued, led down. There was here a group of trees ; and just as we were passing the stile, Juliet hastily whispered, “ There he is!” I glanced partially round; and there, in the shade of the trees, I caught a glimpse of the figure of the individual to whom she had alluded. The next instant he was coming towards us. His hat was pulled so low down over his face that we could not immediately obtain the slightest view of his fea- tures: but now, as he emerged from the shade of CORNICLOOOKS ‘2. (EO)