Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 335: what you’re looking at

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ee 322 hour, muffled up in a cloak, at the risk of being encountered by some of the numerous occupants of the mansion? As for thieves and evil-disposec persons, did not they choose different hours for the prosecution of their nefarious aims? Yes— assuredly so. I therefore closed and locked the door; and taking the book with me, I ascended to the haunted chamber,—where JI found a cheer- ful fire blazing in the grate, the wax-candles lighted, and Beda waiting for me; for she knew that this was about the time when I should ascend thither for the purpose of my evening toilet, CHAPTER CXX. THE HAUNTED CHAMBER. » Bepa was already aware of my determination to pass another night in the haunted chamber ; for she knew that the guests were still confined by the pellucid barriers of the flood to the limits of Tremaine Hall. I thought that there was a slight shade of seriousness upon her countenance as I entered the room: but it almost immediately vanished—and I knew not whether it were dis- pelled by an effort on her part, or whether it was a mere transitory pensiveness which flitted away of its own accord. “My dear Beda,” I said, “I hope you are not vexed to find yourself in these quarters still ?” “Oh! how can I be vexed,” exclaimed the beautiful girl, her large eyes being full of anima- tion, “ when I am along with you?” “ And yet I fancied, Beda, that when I entered the room—as the door opened softiy and you did not immediately observe me—that there was a shade upon your countenance.” “Oh! I was only thinking,” she quickly inter- jected, “of what L had just before heard! But it was nothing, my dear Miss nothing that vexed me, I mean !” ‘“ And what was it that you heard, Beda?P”— for I could not help suspecting that it was some- thing in reference to the haunted apartment itself. “What did I hear? Oh! nothing, dear Miss! Only the gossip of two or three of the domestics in the servants’ hall. But come—let me assist at your evening toilet! Ob, [like to help to apparel you !—you are so beautiful! All the servants de- clared that Miss Percy was the belle of the room a thousand times over !” “ You have always kind words for me, Beda,” I said; “and E appreciate those observations from your lips, which from the lips of others Would be only regarded as vain and idle compliments. But tell me, what was all this gossip about in the ser- vants’ hall ?” -I now noticed that Beda’s large luminous eyes were thrown furtively in the direction of the cup- board to which allusion has before been made; nod methought that at the same time an expres- sion of half-affright, half-horror passed over her countenance, “Oh, nothing!—do not ask me, Miss!” she replied, now affecting to bustle about and prepare everything for my evening toilet. “Nay—but do tell me,” I said; for my curi- > ELLEN PERCYS OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. osity was now piqued. “J am convinced you have heard the tale which belongs to this room! —and if so, I may as well know it likewise,” “Tt is a very horrible story, Miss,” answered Beda; “and Ido beseech and implore that you will postpone until to-morrow a “YT understand what you mean, my dear girl!” I interrupted her. “You are afraid that I should be frightened to-night when sleeping in this room? Ah, generous creature that you are! You see that the lezend is something only too well calculated to scare the mind: and yet you yourself will risk the encounter of all these terrors rather than separate from me! Ah, I am almost sorry, Beda, that I have volunteered to pass another night in this room !—yes, sorry for your sake !” : “Do not think of me, dear Miss,” cried the faithful girl. ‘I am sorry that you yourself: Because really, after all I have heard—and re- membering those strange sounds te Here she stopped short, as if angry with herself for having said too much: and then she again glanced with mingled furtiveness and terror to- wards the cupboard. “Tell me, Beda,’ I said, “what you have heard. If you keep the history from me, my imagination will perhaps only set itself to work all the more actively to conjure up every kind of un- real horrors.” ‘ “True, Miss!” exclaimed Beda: “and there- fore itis after all better that I should tell you what I have heard! I was down in the servants’ hall just now—some of the domestics belonging to the guests were there; and they were conversing with three or four servants of the establishment. Of course it had been whispered amongst the do- mestics generally that you and I had occupied the haunted room last night. Tho servants asked me whether I had seen or heard anything particular— anc I replied in the negative. Then the conver- sation dwelt on the topic; and the old laundress told the tale. She has been a great number of years at Tremaine Hall—she was here when the incidents of the legend occurred a “Oh, then, the date of the talo,” I exclaimed, “is not very remote.” “Only about fifty years,’ answered Beda; “and the laundress was a young girl of sixteen or seventeen at the time. Of course the present Mr. Tremaine was only a mere child then. He was an only son—and he had lost his mother in the first few months of his existence. His father was a fox-hunting, jovial squire; and thus his grief for the loss of his wife did not last very long; aud in the course of a few months—sooner a great deal than such things should have taken place— the Hall was filled with company once more. Amongst them was a distant relation of Mr. Tremaine’s—a Captain Cautley, who had recently returned from India with considerable wealth, although he was still a young man, being not more than two-and-thirty years of age. He was very handsome, and endowed with most fascinat- ing manners. He had gone into the army when sixteen : he had been abroad for nearly the same number of years: he went away a boy—he came A back a man; and there was one whom he had left © as a pretty prattling girl, who in the meantime. had grown up, and whom he found when he came - ree re eee ees ee RES On a + e . Pa (Ee) ~~ - Ehoo com gS) % 7 Pied