Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

IVAN THE A long, howling and dismal chorus of voices was heard on every side, Basil waved his wand. The chorus ceased. Ivan the Terrible lay in the magic circle, filled with horror. His face was deadly pale and haggard-looking. His eyes started from their sockets, and glared like balls of e: His mouth was wide open and foamy, and his teeth chat- tered in dread alarm. He saw flitting around him dark sprites and figures that he knew not. * Each moment brought iresh horrors to his senses, The Sorcerer described unknown figures upon the ground, The lights were suddenly extinguished, All was awful darkness, Basil raised his hand and called aloud. A faint bluish light seemed to issue from the walls opposite where Ivan lay. He gazed upon it. Each moment it became brighter and brighter, but only in that one particular spot. : Laura and Jessie, concealed in the dark stone gallery above, had witnessed all that had passed, and were seized with horror for the fate of the pale unconscious boy that lay beside Ivan, hid in that magic circle. Alland every emotion in them was sunk in deep, intense, heart-palling curiosity, All eagerness to witness every part of thestrange and horrible epectacle, they leaned over the balustrade of the gallery. ’T was well they were not perceived by the ferocious Sorcerer, or that the gaze of the victim had not fallen upon them, for it would have broken the Sorcerer’s mystic spell, and dis- covered them to their worst and bitterest enemy. While thus they gazed, Basil cried aloud in tones of thunder, ‘“‘ Let Ivan’s friends appear |!” All eagerness, Ivan stretched his bull-like neck, and strained his eyes. The earth before him yawned and opened ! A ghost appeared ! It was the spirit of one who had but recently departed ! and was dressed as if still alive! He pointed to a large wound in his breast, from which blood flowed freelv, and stained his white waistcoat. “ Who art thou ?” Ivan gasped, with a forced and choked utterance, “ I ought to know that pale andhaggardface! It cannot be! No; say not that he is dead, Basil—no, no, it cannot be! ‘Tell me that he stilllives ; tell me—” “T am dead !” said the spirit, in an awful tone of mingled sorrow and remorse. “Why, thou art the—”’ “Tam the Scorpion! I was slain in Hyde Park by a mere boy, Ivan, by Harry Percy ! Ere many hours his ship will be on the sea! [re long it will be in sight from your watch- tower on the mountain top! Revenge my death ; forget not! forgive not ! Remember me !” With these words, uttered as they were in awful tones of deep hatred and revenge, the spirit waved his hand, and, with a loud demoniacal laugh, vanished ! CHAPTER X. HARRY PERCY GIVES DIRECTIONS FOR THE BURIAL OF COLONEL ASHTON—DARBY’S ENCOUNTER WITH THE CON- STABLES—HARRY PERCY AND DARBY APPREHENDED ON A CHARGE OF ROBBERY, CONSPIRACY AND MURDER, Harry and Darby had not been in their hotel more than an hour after the duel before described, when the former called up his servant, and thus said, ‘“‘ Darby, this is the first time in my life that I have shed human blood, and I hope it may be the last, for although Count Vincento was a cowardly villain, it is an awful thing to take the life of any man.” % Werry true, sir,’ said Darby, very respectfully. ‘(I can’t abear them there sharp toasting forks as gentlefolks like to fight with, Now ifit were anything in this ’ere style, you know,” TERRIBLE. said Darby, throwing himself into a scientific boxing attitude, and squaring off at some imaginary opponent, “if it were any- thing in this ’ere style, you knows, sir, I shouldn’t mind—to have your daylights darkened—which we calls blacking of a cove’s eyes, or a dislocated tater-trap, which likewise is called a one two in the mouth, or ivory-box—why, then, d’ yer see, ‘the other party might ha’ got over his basting, which is another word for ‘drubbing,’ or ‘wollopping ;’ but when as how a cove has along, sharp-pointed pig-sticker sword dis- turbin’ of his beef-steak and onions, which oughter be peace- able in his ‘bread-basket,’ which is what some call their stomicks—why then the cove is knocked out o’ all time, and turns up his toes all in one round—a kind o’ ’onerable war- fare which I werry much dislike.” | _ ‘We have no time to talk of that, now, Darby ; the deed is done |——” “Tt is so!” said Darby, with a sudden comical twist about his mouth. ‘It is so, sir, and they may holler ‘time,’ till all’s blue, but they won’t fetch Aim up to time ag’in, J knows !” “But I was about to remark, Darby, that we must provide for the burial of Colonel Ashton, and as quickly and privately as possible, for the penalty against duelling is very great and severe.” ** Jist so, sir—mournin’ coaches, and mutes, and long-tailed coal-black horses, and all them sort o’ things. JZ knows—ZJ’ve had a cheap ride behind them coaches many a time, and didn’t care a button about ‘the whip behind.’ All right, sir, Lil put him under the sile in a jiffey, if so be as how you'll hand us over the chink to do it with.” So saying, Harry Percy counted out several gold pieces into his servant’s hand, directing him to be off instantly; and to bury Colonel Ashton’s body as secretly as possible. Darby mounted a horse, and galloped away in great haste to do his brave young master’s bidding. Harry Percy, feeling very low-spirited, but at the same time enchanted and enraptured with Lizzie Ashton’s beauty, ascended to the sick girl’s chamber, and comforted her with various tales and excuses for her father’s, the colonel’s, long and unexplained absence. Within a very few hours Darby returned, very weak and shaky upon his legs, looking half-tipsy and melancholy, wearing a very long piece of crape dangling from his white felt hat. To add to his very interesting appearance, he was muddy and dirty, and had a black eye, a swollen nose, and a cut lip. For all this, however, he wore his white hat in a very rakish manner, and strutted into the hotel tap room with the look and air of a conquerer, and called for a shilling’s-worth of brandy. Harry Percy had perceived his trusty servant’s return, and hurried downstairs to learn all the particulars of Colonel Ashton’s interment, He found Darby smoking a very long pipe, with his legs stretched out before the fire, in all the ease and indifference of a monarch. ‘“What, Darby !” eried Harry, in astonishment, at his servant’s battered and bruised appearance. ‘‘ Why what on earth has happened? Who gave you that eye?” “This ’ere eye, sir?” Darby replied, with a triumphant chuckle, “Lor bless yer, this ’ere eye ain’t nothing! You should on’y see t’other party, that’s all! Why he ain’t got no eye at all; he’s all in mournin’. His tater-trap’s in all kinds o’ shapes, and as to his ugly mug, ginerally, why his own mother wouldn’t know him in a twelvemonth !” 19 “But what means this? Explain!” said Harry. ‘Have you had a row, as usual ?” “On’y a triflin’ scrimmage, young master. Don’t look vexed, and 1’ll tell you all about it, "pon my word I will!” said Darby, drinking his brandy and water, and trying to detail his strange adventure, which in substance ran ag follows :— When Darby had received his young master’s instructions about the burial of Colonel Ashton he mounted a swift horse, and it being very early morning he felt desirous of getting through his unpleasant job as soon as possible, in order that the authorities might not get wind of the sanguinary duel. He called at an undertaker's_and-o-deed-5.pfin Gor