Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 228: what you’re looking at

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ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. same ; and exhausted by my painful reflections, I fell asleep upon the pallet which was provided for my use in that cellar. How long I had been un- conscious, I knew not :—how long I next slept, I knew not!—but when I awoke I was very hungry. I groped my way to the little table on which the provisions had been placed; and I made a hearty meal. My fingers encountered a bottle : I placed it to my lips—it contained brandy—and in the hope of drowning my cares, at least for the time-being, I swallowed the contents, which might. be very nearly a pint. Then I again slept. I knew not how long: but I was awakened by sounds which I could not immediately understand. It seemed as if a quantity of heavy materials were being agitated or moved about in the neighbour- 215 some brandy and likewise some food; and I began to recover from the exhausting influence of my captivity. While I was thus refreshing myself, he said ‘that during the rage of the fire it was everybody shifting for himself, and that I was forgotten; that when all was over and daylight broke upon the smouldering ruins, those gipsies who had survived did not like to appear upon the scene or to hang about the place, for fear lest I might be discovered, either dead or alive, in the cellar, and they should consequently be ar- rested to answer any charge which might be brought against them on my account; thus they therefore remained away from the ruins through. out the day, but when night came Black Ned and two or three others resolved to ascertain my fate,’ hood of the door. Then I began to think that |Such were their explanations—and I was thus probably my dungeon was buried beneath the indebd to them for my release from that hor- ruins of the building, and that persons were | rible prisonage; for if they had not come, I should coming to my assistance. My blood ran cold at | doubtless have perished of starvation— because the idea that I had probably been even nearer | the dungeon, it appeared, was completely heaped death than I had suspected ; and I anxiously lis- ] over by the masses of fallen masonry and half. tened to the sounds which were approaching | nearer and nearer. At length my ear caught human voices speaking to each other just outside the door: then followed the heaving-away of some bricks and rubbish—and then the drawing back of the bolts and the unlocking of the door. A ery of joy which burst from my lips, convinced those who came to release me that I was alive. They were three of the gipsy-guards who had consigned me to that dungeon: and one of them bore the appellation of Black Ned.” “Ah!” JT ejaculated; “I know the man! proceed, Mr. Parks.” “Ab, Miss Percy! what a tale had I then to learn! Nearly four and-twenty hours had elapsed since I was first thrust into that dungeon !—the remainder of the memorable night itself—the wkole of the ensuing day—and it was then be- tween ten and eleven o’clock on the second night when succour thus came to me! I was astounded on learning that so much time had passed: I was prepared to hear that there had been the lapse of balf-a-dozen hours or so—but I was amazed at the tidings that nearly four-and-twenty bad gone by! I could only account for my utter ignorance on the point by the supposition that I must have remained in a state of unconsciousness for a much longer time than I had at first supposed,—pro- bably from the narcotic effect of the smoke which had penetrated into the dungeon. However, be all this as it might, certain it was that the sun had risen and gone down over my head while I was entombed in the dense darkness of that place. As you may suppose, Miss Percy, I put a thousand questions on being released. Where was Gil- deroy? He had perisued in the conflagration. Where wus Moss? It was not known; but it was supposed that he likewise had met his death amidst the fury of the flames. Then, by an ejaculation from Black Ned’s lips, I learnt that you, Miss Perey, and your servant Beda had been present in the large room where the trial took place ; fur Black Ned said something to the effect that it was fortunate for you and the girl that you had taken your departure at the time you did. AsI looked around me on emerging from my dungeon, by the light of the moon I saw that all was a heap of ruins, Black Ned gave me But burnt timbers, so that there was not the slightest clue to lead the police or any other persons visit- ing the ruins to the supposition that there was a human being buried beneath that pile. However, I escaped —and I regarded my deliverance as something next to miraculous,” Again Mr. Parks paused; and I said to him, “ You have looked death as it were in the face; I hope that the influence of such a recollection will not be lost upon you ?” * Misfortunes, Miss Percy,” he responded, “are invariably accompanied by the sternest moral teaching. But you would not believe me if I were to declare that henceforth I shall be an altered man ?” “You will be judged by your deeds, Mr. Parks,” I said, somewhat laconically: for I knew how consummate a hypocrite he was, and I was determined not to be duped by any maudlin sentimentalism on his part. “ Proceed with your narrative—or rather bring it to a conclusion, for I should imagine that it must be nearly termi- nated.” “ Yes,” he resumed, “I have not much more to relate. On taking leave of the gipsy-men, I has. tened away from that neighbourhood. As you may suppose, my mind was in the wildest uncer- tainty in respect to what might have happened at home during my absence,—yes, and in the wildest uncertainty likewise in reference to the fate of the transfer-papers which I had signed at Gilderoy Hemp’s. Perchance they were burnt along with Gilderoy himself ?—perchance Moss had obtained possession of them and had escaped from the conflagration? My mind was acutely tortured with suspense. I made the best of my way towards my own residence. I beheld no lights in any of the windows; and I was smitten with alarm. I knocked at the door. It was pre- sently opened by an old charwoman, who was ac- customed to assist the servants occasionally in their work, She seemed to be stupified with as- tonishment on beholding me, and still more so when I inquired how my wife and children were? Then I learnt that they were gone! But I will not attempt to describe what my feelings were, Miss Percy: I will confine myself simply to a narrative of the facts, It appeared that my wife CON Girook (EO)