The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

74. THE MYSTERIES CF THE CouRtT, at the very instant she was about to cross the thres- hold, she heard the sounds of footsteps in the hall above. The blood congealed in her veins: and transfixed tothe spot with dire terror, she listened almost in a statue-like state of suspended animation, But in a few moments she was relieved from that anguish of terror, by the certainty that the Rev. Ber- nard Audley, whose steps she had heard, was ascend- ing the stairs from the hall. “ Now, young beauty—now, sweet and ravishing, lovely and enchanting Louisa M These were the words which he spoke aloud, as he began the ascent of the stairs, and which reached the ears of the trembling maiden below. She paused to listen no longer: but, wild witm new terrors, she rushed from the doorway—sprang across the yard— and stopped only when she found herself close by an open arch in the massive wall of the Cathedral, There she was recalled to herself—for she was well enough acquainted with the interior of the sacred edifice to perceive in a moment that this open arch- way led into the vast subterranean, or crypt, of the venerable cathedral. This immense assemblage or succession of vaults extends under nearly half of the spacious structure, and is lighted in the day-time by a few arched windows and loop-holes on a level with the ground. From one or two of these the panes, shafts, and bars are broken away; and thus any one who gains ingress to the cathedral precincts, may steal through these dismantled apertures into the erypt. But there is no similar means of egress in any other part: and thus Louisa knew well that even if she entered the crypt by the archway now before her, she must remain in the subterranean until the doors of the church should be opened in the morning. Shuddering at the idea of passing the rest of the night in that place of sepulchral gloom, the maiden threw her eyes hastily around the yard to ascertain if there were no other avenue of escape: but she could see none. And now it suddenly struck her that as the Canon ascended the stairs of his house, if he only happened to look forth from the landing- window,—the same whence she had so recently be- held the Cathedral’s black mass stretching before her view,—he could not fail to observe the light which she carried in her hand. She therefore hesitated no longer—but boldly, or rather despe- rately, entered the low arch and in a few moments was in the vast subterranean. CHAPTER XXL THE CRYPT. Hurrvine away from the spot where she had thus entered the gloomy place; she plunged farther into the erypt—passed by pillar after pillar—and at length sank exhausted upon a mass of stone-work at the base of one of the low columns supporting the roof. Standing the lamp upon the ground, she covered her face with her hands and burst into tears. The prolonged excitement which she had endured, from the first moment when she commenced the task of tearing away the green baize in her prison- chamber, until she thus sate down in the vaulted subterranean of the cathedral,—this prolonged excitement, we say, which had wrung her heart’s chords to their utmost powers of tension, now gave way in a passionate flood of weeping. But these tears relieved her: they afforded a channel for the issue and flow of her pent-up feel- ings;—and presently wiping her eyes, she was enabled to fix her thoughts once more upon the circumstances of her position. She knew that at an early hour in the morning the persons having charge of the cathedral would Open the doors not only of the nave and choir alone, but also of the crypt, inasmuch as the edifice was daily inspected by visitors. She could then easily find an opportunity of passing out unob- served and unquestioned, even if she did not choose to relate the outrage which had been perpetrated upon her iiberty and whence she had escaped. But on the other hand, if in the meantime the Canon should discover her flight from the baize-chamber | and should track her into the crypt, she would be as much in his power as ever. And those words which she had heard him utter as he ascended the stairs of his house—what did they mean ?—what portent did they shadow forth? He had said, “ Now, young beauty,”—the monosyllable “now” being spoken emphatically, as if he meant some- thing at that moment. Louisa shuddered as she thus reflected upon his words and wondered what their significancy could be: and she began to en- tertain some vague and undefined suspicion that he possibly harboured intentions more vile and dreadful than any she had previously conceived. Scareely had this thought struck her, when she was startled by the sounds of footsteps echoing through the vaulted subterranean. She sprang from her seat: like a carved effigy of mingled terror and despair did she stand against the pillar ; —and with eyes dilated wildly, lips apart, and dis- tended neck, she listened as if life or death de- pended upon the issue. All was still—and she began to breathe again. With long heavings and deep sinkings, her fair bosom denoted the return of that animation which had been as it were sus- pended throughout the rest of her frame to be all condensed in the faculty of hearing. But ere the tide of life had again obtained full play in its crimson channels, those ominous sounds once more reached her ears: once more, also, was she trans- fixed—petrified—turned into a statue with the spell of dread consternation. Again however all was still—but her imagination was now so fearfully excited and her brain so troubled, that she began to conjure up all kinds of horrible shapes and spectral forms. From the ground appeared to rise those ghastly shapes,— some dressed in their grave-clothes—others wear- ing the garb of priests,—some appearing to be only skeletons wrapped in the loose garments of the dead—and others looking like grim warriors in their steel panoply. Whichever way she cast her eyes around, objects of terror seemed to encounter them; and those spectral shapes increased in number until the whole crypt appeared to be erowded with them. But suddenly the immense array of phantoms melted into thin air —and one tull dark form stood forth from behind an adjacent pillar. , “ My brain is reeling—and yet ‘tis all a delusion —and I know it!” exclaimed Louisa aloud, as she closed her eyes and pressed her fingers upon her ee CORNICLOOOKS (E(0)