Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 198: what you’re looking at

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

194 IVAN THE When she had made the noise on the first occasion, she ran to her room and pretended to sleep; but now the bold girl at once stopped, and turning, faced the door, knowing that flight would tempt pursuit, and that the best plan would be to face her persecutor should he leave his room. ; For some seconds all remained still, and then, under the impression that he had not heard the noise, she once more began to descend. She had taken one step downwards when a rusty nail fell from the rotten bannisters into the passage below, waking the echoes of that dusty, gloomy, quiet, old building. Bt She paused once more, and summoned up all her firmness to meet the coming shock. ; The door of the room opened, and the face of Dreadnought appeared pale with terror and confusion that hitherto he had never shown. , ; Leonora turned, and met his gaze. ; It would have been difficult at that moment to decide which had the palest face—the innocent girl or the haggard man of blood. | “‘ [—]—heard a—a noise !”’ he said. “So did I.” “© Where ?”” . ** Above.” ‘* Ah !—well, I suppose it was n-nothing buf a rat. If you are going I'll follow you.” ; So saying, he closed the door behind him, and made a step towards the stairs, ica x ‘¢ Stay !” cried*Leonora, who had overheard him muttering about ghosts in tones of intense earnestness. The old. man paused at once, for there was a strangeness in lier manner that gave him intense alarm. The thought suddenly flashed across Leonora’s mind that she might add to the superstitious terrors which she knew had so firm a hold on her gaoler’s heart’ respecting this place, and though the words that escaped her were almost involuntary, she exclaimed, Ee “ This house is haunted |” eae “ Haunted ?” repeated the old man, at once retreating several paces, and showing at once that she had fouched the right chord. +. ; In his. fear, however, he had done the very thing she most wished him to do, for he descended towards the kitchen and the lower part of the house. | } “eh It was now her object to make him ascend and remain up- gtairs. ‘‘T was following it,” she said; “it has just gone down stairs.” ‘Who ?—what?” exclaimed Dreadnought, springing back to the doorway of his room in an instant, while the rapid changes of colour on his face showed how deep-seated-was his craven fear. Leonora’s pure and innocent heart detested falsehood and duplicity, but to her mind such an act appeared justifiable at such a crisis, and she replied, “ There is something below.” “Then y-you saw it?” « I did,”’ “And followed ?” (OYes.. The wretched man trembled as, after a pause, he continued, “What was it like ?” ‘Well, you come with me and see,”” demanded Leonora. ‘No, no, not for all the gold in the world ; but, tell me, was it—a—very tall man ?” “Tt was.” : ss *, man of noble look and bearing, with hair slightly “Just as you describe.” _ “Ob! horror! I saw him once before, and now he comes again to curse and blast my prospects and objects in life, I shall be spectre-haunted for éyer !” ‘ “ Listen,” said Leonora, ‘‘and I will tell you all, Listen to me—a wild bleeding form has appeared in this house.” * Bleeding ?” ‘‘ Aye ; from a deep and ghastly wound in his head,” ~ © And—it—it——” TERRIBLE. rs ‘It is there,” replied Leonora, pointing down the wide old staircase. * : Pa a: “Can you look on it without being frozen to death! said the Sorcerer, trembling. ie? “T can. Come with me and we will question it.” ‘‘No, no, I dare not; the sight would blast me for ever. If you have one spark of charity in your composition, pity me !” he said. , “ Why should I pity you—my gaoler, my persecutor ?” ‘Pray that the ghastly form may come here no more, or I shall go mad—mad !” said Dreadnought, trembling violently. And the wretched man, hiding his face in his hands, groaned aloud in his mental agony and torture. : “Sorcerer,” Leonora said, in a solemn whisper, “that pale, bleeding form has no terrors for me.” ““T know it because ——” “Because what ?”’ ‘Nothing; I know no reason why you should not fear it.” | “Tt has spoken strange things to me.” ‘‘ What said it?” “Tt said there was;a murder in the palace.” “ Mercy! mercy !” groaned the wretched man, cowering before her gaze, **Tt-said also——’ ** Mercy, Leonora ! spare me!” ~ “Child of the dead? Am I that child? science is awakenéd tell me all and soothe your heart by relieving mine. Speak ! tell me who I am, and I will forgive you all. Heaven will pardon all !” ’ ‘Bid that ghastly form depart,” moaned the Sorcerer, . ’ Child of the dead, spare°me! Oh! -crawling towards his room, ‘“‘And then 2” | *T will tell you all—all ; but send him away. His presence will drive me mad.” The object Leonora had in view was accomplished. “Wait,” she cried, gliding hastily down the staircase, while the wretch expected to see some horrid form appear. Trembling and fear had left her, and with the lightness of a fawn she sprang into the back kitchen, where sat the half-witted old woman, one of the old eorcerer’s many luck- less victims, ‘ = The poor cfeature’s eyes brightened as Leonora approached her. : , “Hush!” said the latter. ‘“ Not a word; but take this and fly across the fieldS8asswiftly as youcan.” | The poor creature took the paper, and secured it about her person. “Show that paper to noone but the landlord of the house 7 ? but part with it to no one but he whose name it bears, Pause not a moment for my sake; I will reward you; fear not old Dreadnought.” The old -woman flew away, and Leonora dropped insensible in the passage of the dreary haunted house, overcome with excitement and fatigue. k& How long she remained there she knew not, but when con- sciousness once more returned to her excited brains she found that she was alone in the parlour, and nearly in total darkness, . A few moments sufficed to bring back recollection, and she gazed round eagerly to see if any one was in the room. As soon as she had ascertained that. he was not there, a slight gleam of light came through the keyhole,’ then the door was pushed open, and her gaoler entered the room, bearing a candle in his hand, He called her by name, ‘‘T am here,” she replied. ; As he placed the light on the table, she saw that his face was haggard, careworn, and ghastly pale. “JT will not stay here any longer now,’ he said. “This place will always be unpleasant tO me.” “Why not?” asked Leonora, fearful lest she should be hurried away ere the document she had entrusted to the mad woman could reach its destination. a ‘Why not? The very air smells of the grave, and while —comichooks:com Now that con- —