Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 274: what you’re looking at

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

‘ . Sis fae ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OP AN ACTRESS. ' mem ee ee ee eee ee - - - . —ee me, QE ee ee —— - ——eee Ss Se a _— -— "2. * ~ Ao p4 ~ a7 te ie se * a4 : . ak aS : and the cold draughts which penetrated from every side, all combined to render the room as utterly cbeerless as possible, and to aggravate the intense misery that 1 experienced from finding myself placed in such a position. Yor even if 1 averted my eyes from those walls, or from that wretched bedstead, or from the windows—the one with the wooden shutter, and the other with the green blind—what object met my view? The hideous | hag, Dame Betty, sitting over the fire, giving way to her reflections, and perhaps forgetting at the time that 1 was present there at all! I bad very little doubt, if any, that the crone had hit upon the right solution of that which was at first so deep a mystery, and that she had accu- rately conjectured the cause of our arrest and de- tention. I therefore entertained little or no fear for my life: I did not think that this was in any peril. But my liberty—Ab, that might be sus- pended for two or three days! It seemed a per- fect age!—and to be passed in such a place, and in such companivnsbip! Besides, poor Beda would be full of anxiety and suspense at neither see- ing nor hearing from me; for I bad promised to write if I did not return within a certain time. And then too, the tidings of the outrage committed on the high road might be conveyed to Kelvedon Hall; and in what an agony of suspense would Hermione be plunged! Ob, for numerous reasons apart from any selfish personal considerations, bitterly deplored this loss of my liberty! Some time had passed after Dame Betty had lighted the fire, and she at length slowly turned her regards towards the table on which the men had left the provisions. “Well,” she muttered, in a tone that was just audible, though she did not seem to be purposely addressing her speech to me, “ there’s no use in starving onesclf. Famishing will not give me my vengeance one hour the earlier, or procure my! the truth of my observations. Do you mean | liberation one moment the sooner. to eat, Miss ?” she inquired, now turning her re- gards upon me. “No,” I replied: “I have not the faintest ap- petite.” “ Perhaps you dined later than I did,” re- sponded the crone; “and no doubt you dined better at the Hall than I did at the ale-house. I say, Miss ”’—and now her voice sank to the lowest possible tone that could be heard,—“ do you think | ‘ jewellery that I had about my person. — 7 aaa 261 fancied that this was a very just retribution which has now befallen me.” “I certainly might enunciate such a moral in respect to yourself,” lL answered. “Our evil deeds very often redound upon our own heads, and we suffer the same penalties which we have unjustly and wickedly inflicted upon others. It is however useless for me to preach seriously to you in your present state of mind. You have suddenly begun to dream of an escape; but as if all your own sagacity and ingenuity were paralyzed, you appeal to me.” “Yes: you are young—you are yigorous—you are full of strength and intelligence,” interjected the dame: “ you surely could do something!” “What can we do? Did you not trust to these walls and these bars when you sent me and Beda as prisoners hither? And if we had been watched by two men instead of ene, we never could have made our escape. Now there are two men here x “I have been listening,” said the crone, “in order to ascertain, if possible, whereabouts in the building they are. Itis my opinion they are in the room below.” “ And that likewise is my belief,” I said; “ be- cause I distinctly heard them descend the staircase after they left us just now; and there seems to be an odour of tobacco ascending from below.” “The very circumstances which led me to sus- pect,” cried the dame, “ that they are down stairs!” “ And rest assured that they are upon the alert,” Isaid, “ We cannot force this door—we cannot break away the bars from the windows—we are utterly without the means of escape!” Dame Betty made no answer; but I saw that an expression of deep concentrated rage came over her countenance,—thus showing with what strong feelings she was compelled to admit unto herself She resumed her seat, from which she had arisen when first speak- ing of an escape; and again she hung over the fire, her lean hands extended and her fiagers all stretched out separately. A considerable time once more passed in silence,—during which I made a variety of reflections upon the circumstances of the present adventure. Amongst other facts I could not help noticing this onc,—that no attempt had been made to rob me of my purse nor of the The there is a chance of making our escape? You) ruffians had not as yet shown themselves as rob- did it once, you know . “ Yes—but it was under different circum-. stances,” I responded. “There was only yonr| bers ; but I had much rather that they should have done this and left me my liberty. And then, too, I could not help thinking of the unwavering adherent Black Ned to deal with in the first in-| steadfastness with which the bribe I had offered stance ; and then too, Beda was a most valuable was refused by the man who had me in his cus- assistant-——”’ tody. No doubt the desperadoes had been assured “Yes, yes—and I am useless!” interrupted the | that whatsoever bribe I might offer would only be dame, with accents of irritability and petulance : | intended as a snare; bat still I felt convinced that “ ] am a hindrance rather than a help ! windows, Miss?—the windows? Do bestir your- self !” ““Tf I thought there was any use in bestirring myself,” I said, “ rest assured that I should not remain sitting listlessly here. As for the windows, you ought to know fall well that they are barred— for it was you who sent me and Beda into capti- “I know it—I know it,” ejaculated the crone; “and you seem to taik, Miss Percy, as if you Sr ee eee ee ee ee ee But the | a very heavy reward indeed must have been en- sured to them for their present proceeding in order that so stern a negative should have been pro- claimed in answer to my proposition.. And there was another subject which forced itself upon my thougats: namely, that it was indeed a most righteous retribution that Dame Betty should now find herself a captive in the very place where she bad caused Beda and myself to be imprisoned and where for several hours we were actually in terror for oar lives! com Ghboo (E@)