Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 269: what you’re looking at

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

. a eee eS el 255 ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. “No!” yelled the gipsy-woman ; and by this time I was confident that it was really no trea- chery on her part; while to my mind vividly rushed certain circumstances which for many hours I had utterly lost sight of—namely, the | lurking ill-iooking man whom Beda had seen in front of my house in London, and the presence of Lady Lilla Essendine in the cab which had dashed past the postchaise at the outset of my journey. But I had no leisure to reflect upon these mat- ters, nor to conjecture how they could be possibly dove-tailed into the incidents which were now passing ; for these incidents were following each other with a rapidity which engrossed all attention. The foremost ruffian of the three sprang into the postchaise and dragged Dame Batty out. At first she screamed; but the wretch hurled her upon the ground, and with horrible oaths bade her hold her tongue. The dame was terrified into silence ; and the moonbeams showed that her countenance was hideously ghastly with alarm. “ Now, what do you want?” I demanded of the men. “Is it“money? If so, state your views “Come along with us at once, both of you!” exclaimed the foremost: “and if you don’t——” “Where are we to go?” I asked. “Surely this is some mistake P’—but my heart told me that it was not, though I was utterly at a loss to conceive what it could mean. “Oh, bother all this talk!” growled another of the men. “Come you along, aoe he caught hold of me. I struggled desperately—my bonnet saat shawl were torn off—and the ruffian raised a bludgeon to deal me a blow, when fearing that I should be murdered, I cried, “ Strike not, and I will go with you !” “'That’s sensible,” said the man: and allowing me to pick up my bonnet and shawl, he hurried me away. I glanced over my shoulder, and saw that another of the men was now making Dame Betty accompany him; while the third was raising the postilion from the ground; and in the midst of my own terror and afiliction it was some solace to perceive that the unfortunate postboy was showing signs of life. The place where this adventure had occurred, was at the corner of a lane; and it was down this lane that the gipsy-woman and I were being hurried by the two ruffians who had us in their power. My custodian had not his hand upon me; and I glanced rapidly to the right and the left, to see if it were possible by a sudden spring to save myself by flight. The fellow’s eye was how- ever keener than I thought; for at once divining my purpose, he said, “ You’d better not, Miss!” and then he brandished his club threateningly. “A hundred guineas,” I cried, “if you let me escape !” “ Make it five hundred, Miss!” “Well, five hundred! 2 I said, “and you shall have a cheque for it !” The fellow burst out into a laugh, exclaiming, “You surely don’t take me to be such a fool? The hangman’s noose is perhaps what you call a check !” “No—by heaven, I am sincere !” I ejaculated, thinking in my desperation that any pecuniary terms would be cheap for the purchase of my liberty. ‘“ Come—what say you? My freedom and that of the old woman m “TI rayther think not,” responded the man, with another mocking laugh. “You mistrust me?” I ejaculated, with feverish anxiety. “Why, do you think that I warn’t warned that some such dodge as this would be played?” he coarsely responded. “Offer them money, Miss Percy!” shricked Dame Betty from behind. “Silence, you hag! or I'll dash your brains out !” I heard the voice of her custodian growling fiercely. “And you, too, had better be silent,” said the man who had me in his power: and again he brandished his club. “ Whatever you may offer, even if you meant to keep your promise, we shall be better paid by refusing than accepting it. And now hold your tongue.” Tbis mandate was spoken in the most peremp- tory fashion; and I therefore saw that it was use- less to attempt te gain any advantage by means of bribery. In a few minutes more we came suddenly upon a sort of covered chaise-cart, which was wait- ing ata bend in the lane; and aman was standing at the horse’s head. The brilliant moonlight enabled me to perceive that this individual might be classed in the same category as the other three ruflians—namely, that he was ill-looking enough, but that there was nothing in his appearance to indicate that he belonged to the gipsy tribe. Dame Betty and I were now ordered to ascend into the chaise-cart; but I thought that I would make one more effort on behalf of freedom—and I therefore exclaimed, ‘‘ Remember that punishment must sooner or later come for such an outrage as this! Boe reasonable! be wise! I offer five hundred guineas to any one who will effect the release of myself and this aged woman !” The man who had all along taken the lead in the present proceedings, here stopped me short with a terrible imprecation; and I was compelled to ascend into the vehicle. Dame Betty, who was muttering unintelligibly between her thin sunken lips, followed me; our two custodians jumped in after us; and then the driver ascended to his seat. There was a sort of curtain of some coarse mate- rial which was now drawn over the front or open- ing of the head of the chaise-cart; and the vehicle drove rapidly away. The horse was evidently a good one: and notwithstanding that the load was somewhat heavy for a single animal, its capacities were more than equal to the task. “What do you think all this can mean?” I whispered in the lowest possible tone to Dame Betty. She did not however give any response: she was still muttering to herself— she was rocking her form to and fro—she was evidently the prey toa deep affliction; and I therefore wondered whether she could form any conjecture relative to the motive of this outrage, or whether she had ob- tained into it that insight of which I myself was utterly deficient. I scarcely knew whether my question was put in too low a tone for her to hear it, or whether she was too much absorbed in her own painful reflections to pay any heed to me; 00/0) (E(0) = (E(0) SS