Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 75: what you’re looking at

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62 to an issue as decisive as the proceedings have hitherto been solemnly and awfully regular.” There was this time a very long pause, during which Gilderoy waited to see if Parks would urge anything in his defence: but as the prisoner still maintained a dogged silence, the venerable old gipsy proceeded in the following strain :— “Tt remains for you,” addressing those who were seated upon the benches, “ to decide whether the man who stands before you has received a fair trial this night. If you be of opinion that the trial is a fair one, you will decide whether he be guilty, or not guilty, of the various crimes laid to his charge ?” Gilderoy ceased; and all those men who were seated upon the benches, exclaimed as if with one accord, “ He is guilty !” At this point the interest which I felt in the proceedings was wound up to an almost painful degree of tension: for though I could not conceive what was now to follow, yet I had a presentiment that i¢ would be something solemnly awful. Parks continued silent: but his whole attitude, as he leant over the rail of what may be termed the dock, indicated a fearful state of suspense. There was again a pause, after the verdict had been de- livered; and then Gilderoy spoke with the deepest solemnity. “Thomas Parks, you have been declared guilty of the foul crimes laid to your charge. Of this guilt no one present ean possibly entertain the slightest doubt. By the vilest machinations you obtained the signature of Miss Percy to a certain document, by means of which you flattered your- self that with impunity you might retain posses- sion of your ill-gotten riches, and that you might hold that young lady at defiance. The document lies upon the table: it was obtained by fraud—let it now be destroyed!” The Clerk of the Court at once took up the document—tore it to pieces—and setting a light to the fragments, suffered them to burn upon the floor, stirring them with his foot so that they might be all the more quickly consumed. Ina few moments the document to which my signature had been so fraudulently obtained, was reduced to blackened tinder, which the Clerk stamped upon with his foot, crushing out the last scintillating sparks. ** Now, prisoner,” resumed Gilderoy, “ you stand in the position of 6ne who has not even the slight- est legal ground to sustain the impunity hitherto enjoyed. Butit remains for me to place before you the alternatives between which you have to choose; and that decision on your part must be guickly given. You have perpetrated crimes which render you deserving of death. Death therefore is one of those alternatives to which 1 have alluded. But on the other hand, this tribu- aal will be satisfied if you consent to make complete restitution of Miss Percy’s fortune, and carry out vhe agreement according to the terms arranged on the 5th of October, 1841. If the latter alternative is your choice, you will be detained a prisoner within these walls until the sum of thirty-six thousand three hundred pounds be transferred by you to the name of Miss Ellen Percy in the books of the Bank of England—or until any other ar- rangement which may best suit your convenience be carried out, haying the same effect. That you ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. possess sufficiency of resources to enable you to make this atonement, I have already acquired the certitude. Let that atonement be made, therefore —and the very instant that I find it to be irreyo- eably accomplished, you shall be set at freedom. In that case you best know, Mr. Parks, whether it will suit your interests to bury in oblivion all the proceedings of this night. But if you tell the tale to the world, remember that at the same time you will be publishing your own infamy: and the forged will still remains at Doctors’ Commons as an evidence against you! That will must ever exist to be held in terror over you; and in order that you might not be absolved from the conse- quences of that forgery should your future con. duct merit castigatior, I ordained the destruction of the document which now lies a blackened piece of tinder upon the floor. But I have said enough! It is now for you to decide Immediate death, or else the speediest atonement !” Scarcely had Gilderoy thus ceased speaking, when a fearful spectacle began to develop itself. The low platform on which his chair was placed, had hitherto seemed to stand against a wall, covered, as the rest of the apartment was, with black drapery. But now that black drapery parted in the middle: the two portions into which that sable curtain was thus divided, were slowly drawn aside—and it became apparent that it had merely screened off a section of the apartment, which thus proved to be even more spacious than it at first appeared. There was a window at the further extremity; and in the space that was now being disclosed to view, a sinister object was gradually discovered. This was nothing else than a gibbet, with the halter pendant to the beam; and beneath that halter stood a man dressed in black, and wearing a sable mask upon his countenance. A cold shudder crept through me: I laid my hand upon Beda’s arm—I was about to say that not for worlds would I suffer the awful sentence of death to be carried into execution in case Mr. Parks should refuse to make the required atonement— but I gasped for utterance—I could not articulate a syllable. No tragedy in which I had ever ap- peared upon the stage, was so awful, so fearful as this! Beda comprehended what was passing in my mind, and why I thus laid my hand upon her; for she hastily whispered, “ For heaven’s sake breathe not a word, dear Miss! that wretched man will prefer the milder alternative !” There was a solemn silence throughout the apartment. Parks stood immoveable in the dock; and there, at the extremity of that dimly-lighted tribunal—making me shudderingly think of the Inquisition and Vehm-Gerichts of past ages,—there was that sinister object looming through the ob- scurity, the executioner standing beneath the pen- dant rope! * Prisoner,” said Gilderoy, at length breaking that solemn pause, “ you have five minutes for your decision :”—and drawing forth a watch, the old man held it in his hand, fixing his eyes upon its dial. There was again a deep silence—but this time it was of short duration; for the wretched Parks, evidently impressed with the terrible earnestness of the whole scene, suddenly gasped forth, “ Spare my life! I will make the atonement—I will pay the money—but—but—when I have done it, you will give me my liberty ?” Gomichboo