Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 275: what you’re looking at

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

- EC + rr Cl! OYvO_EOCcCLM Ow ES ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS, But I will not dwell at unnecessary length on the various topics of my meditations during an- other long interval of silence which now prevailed. At length Dame Betty, who had apparently for- gotten her previous intention of having something to eat, rose from her position in front of the fire, and approached the table. She cut herself a slice of bread, mumbling something all the time; and I fancied that what she said chiefly consisted of maledictions against Edwin St. Clair and Lady Lilla Essendiné. Returning to the fire-place, she began to toast her bread; but I still experienced not the slightest inclination for food—and I re- mained seated at a distance from the crone, for I loathed her too much to give the slightest indica- tion of an approach to that familiar companion- ship which under other circumstances—I mean if the woman herself had been different from what she was—would possibly have been establishee be- tween us by the nature of our position. I looked at my watch: it was now midnight. The time had passed away more rapidly than I had anticipated. Tt was nearly eight o’clock when the outrageous attack was made upon the postchaise; it was past nine when the covered cart brought Dame Betty and myself to the ruined farm-buildings. | Up- wards of two hours and a half had therefore elapsed since our introduction into the wretched room where I now found myself in company with that harridan. I was seated near the window: it was that window which had the little dingy curtain, and which, as I well remembered, lookea out upon the court-yard and the straw-yard at the back of the premises. Not many. minutes after I had looked at my watch, the idea began to steal into my mind that I heard some very low yet just perceptible sound in respect to that window to which I am alluding. I turned my head and listened—but without immediately lifting the curtain. And now, as I held my breath suspended, I acquired the certainty that the window (which consisted of two small frames, whereof one was made to slide over the other) was being moved in its setting. Now, what could this mean? For an instant I was seized with a cold tremor: but it immediately passed away as the conviction smote me that treachery could scarcely be presenting itself through such an avénue. If the men wanted to murder us, there was the door for them to enter: and besides, the window was barred. If they wanted to listen to our discourse, they might have crept up to the door: it was not so deficient in chinks nor so well adjusted in its framework as to prevent those villains from becoming either eye- witnesses or ear-witnesses df what was passing within. Then, inasmuch as I was now assured that no treachery was likely to be impending from the region of the window, the thought struck me that some friendly intervention might be at hand. I looked round: I became aware that the curtain had not been so completely closed over the window as to prevent any one who had climbed up thereto, from seeing into the room. And if some one had indeed clambered up, the individual, whoever it might be, could discern Dame Betty as well as myself; and all the precautions which were now being taken might be for the purpose of commu- nicating with me only, and not with the old gipsy harridan. As these reflections passed through my mind-— and as at the same time a conviction was now estab- lished within me that the window was really being slowly and carefully moved sideways in its frame- work, especially as I felt a cold draught coming in upon me—I resolved to shape my own actions in accordance with what I believed to be the pruden- tial course that was being adopted by the operator without. And then an idea struck me. Perhaps it might be one of the two ruffians, who now felt himself disposed to come to terms with me and accept the bribe, but who was acting unknown to his companion, and who also wished to keep the matter secret from Dame Betty? As for the crone herself, she continued to be engaged in making toast in front of the fire; and she was so seated that she did not observe me nor the window against which I was placed. Immense and very acute was the suspense which fcr some minutes I endured; for I was utterly un- able to settle my mind to any positive conjecture as a solution of the mystery that was now passing. At length the curtain was pushed aside, anda hand was thrust in at the window. That hand held a note, which I quickly took; and the hand was instantaneously withdrawn. I rose from my seat, and paced three or four times to and fro in the room, so as to divert Dame Betty’s attention from any sound that she might possibly have heard, inasmuch as it was with a somewhat un- guarded movement—a start of joyous hopefulness, that i had almost snatched rather than calmly taken possession of thatnote. But the dame kept her: position at the fire, and evidently had not been disturbed. The candle was burning in a bottle upon the mantel; and having taken those few turns, I approached the table on which the food was: placed, as if for the purpose of helping myself to some of it. By these means I placed myself with my back towards the dame, and yet in such a position as to be enabled to read ‘the billet by the light shed from the mantel. With what a beating heart did I now proceed to examine that note! ‘It was written in pencil; the hand was a bold round one; and on glancing at the name, I was still more agreeably surprised, and startled with a still more thriiling joyousness than before, on beholding the signature — WILLIAM LARDNER, The contents of the note were as fol- low :— “Tam here, Miss Percy, ready to assist you to the best of my ability, and if needful, to risk my life in your service. There are three men in the room below. There were two at first; but a third has just arrived. I listened without being per- ceived; and I overheard him say to his companions, immediately on his entry, that it had been made all right with the postilion. “TI do not know whether the old woman, Dame Betty, is put up in the room to watch you, or whether she is as mucha prisoner as you are, Neither do I know whether matters so stand that you would like me to go off at once and procure the assistance of the constables at Petersfield; or whether it better suits your views that I should labour by some other means to effect your rescue. Therefore, I have taken this course to ascertain what you desire. If you wish me to go off at once to Petersfield, be so kind as to lift the window- Gomichboo (EO)