Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 38: what you’re looking at

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

34 IVAN THE The king found himself alone in that dark and dreary passage, With arms extended he turned slowly round, but nothing met its touch. The darkness was like that of the grave. The most intense and profound stillness reigned in the whole house. : “What strange place is this?” he said, in a hoarse and anxious whisper. ‘I hear no one, I see no one. Where am I? Speak! You who spoke, speak now again,” ‘‘ Advance !” said the voice, sternly. “Tam glad. Did you say advance?” “JT did. Follow me!” “T do not know my way.” ‘“ This way,” said the old man, in rough tones, At that moment a white star appeared in the air, to the right of the king, about fifteen feet from the floor of the hall or passage, . “Yes, yes, I advance,” he said, “I come !” With hands stretched out before him, he slowly bent onward in the direction of the star. He then touched, as he thought, the wall, but it was a door, for it gave way before the slightest pressure, and in another moment he felt that he was treading upon a yery thick, soft carpet. , ‘“Whére am I?” he asked, in surprise. ‘Where you wish to be,” said a soft, sweet voice. « Ah!” he exclaimed, ‘that is the yoice of her I love !” ‘ Leonora,” said the voice, “Speak again, fairest of creatures! Oh! speak again, that I may know which way to come to you !” With a sudden noise the door of the room closed. For a time all was total darkness, but gradually a faint light appeared. - ‘Ah! the place grows lighter and lighter still! Now ! ean see about me—tables, chairs, cushions, mirrors. Yes; now T can see——” 7 eee Suddenly turning round he perceived the old man stafiding close behind him, e ** Who on earth, sir, aré you?” the King exclaimed fi ereat astonishment. | A soft light, from some unknown source had crept over the room, and disclosed, to the amazement of the king, & man in a long cloak edged with crimson who was tending 4 charcoal fire that was on the hearth, and who was stirring, or seeming to stir, something in a small ladle, Close to this strange being was a table covered with what much resembled a funeral pall, and upon it were a number of strange-looking astrological implements and apparatus, Upon the man’s fase was a mask of green glass. He looked ghastly, ghostly, and unearthly. As all this was slowly revealed, the king’s surprise was creat, and he retreated as far as possible, until the door stopped him, and then, with his baek against it, he glared at ‘the old man with feelings of awe and surpriee. ‘Humph |” said the astrologer, as he cast something into the ladle that sent up, for an instant, a bright green flame. ‘Tt don’t work well to-night, there must be some sort of distracting influence. What says the circle of spirits now here present? Let»me see,’ and he examined the ladle with all carefulness and breathless attention, Sir,” asked the king, in tremulous accents, ‘who and mhat are you!” “Silence!” said the old man, sternly. you in a minute.” “Ah! dost thou know me also?” gasped the king in great surprise. “Silence, I tell thee !” was the astrologer’s imperious com- mand, as he motioned him to a seat. The king slid into a ehair, and, with his eyes fixed upon the astrologer, he regarded him in silence. ‘ Yes,” said the old man, “that makes the conjunction surely. Let me see. Ah, that suffices.” Me cast something into the ladle wrapped in tinfoil, and, after hissing for a moment, it sent up a bright shower of beautiful green sparks that were dazzling to gaze upon. Taking the ladle from the fire, he crossed his arms upon “‘T will attend to TERRIBLE. his breast, and, tnrning the strangely hideous face upon the king, he said in a harsh, sepulchral tone, “What want ye with this poor, friendless and guileless maiden ?” PePee . ‘‘What! the beautiful, entrancing, bewitching——” the king began. ; ; ‘Aye, the fair one you mysteriously met alone in the park, and whose residence you have, by some strange accident, dis- covered,” asked the old man, sternly. “ T_that is, I wish—I am bewitched, and I desire to——” “ Ruin her, pethaps, eh? Ha! ha!” the old man laughed | derisively. ‘No, by Heaven, I do not !” exclaimed the king. “TI love her ardently, devotedly, fondly. I would——” < ‘Ruin her, I repeat,” said the old man; “but take care, — monarch as you are, remember that you are in my powernow, ~ and——” 4 “ Your power ?” gasped the king, in surprise. . “Yes, in my power, mark ye; and ere you can go hence, ~ let me tell thes that all the powers and fiends of darkness ~ wait upon my single word.” = . “Then I would go,’ gasped the king in strange terror at the old man’s solemn words. “Nay, stay, eommand ye, This child—for she is little — fioré—this fair ereaturé, harmless, sinless as she is with all © fice beauty and warm heart, has seen you but once, and, alas : that I should confess it, she is—she is——=” Go on—go on, I pray you,” said the king, in excitement, She loves !” Loves me?” . Hven so |” r Oh, this is too. much blias!? exclaimed the enraptured monarch. eS 2 ay ‘She does, and you will despise her, will hate her, will spurn her.” 2 sb a By all that is sacred, I swear that I will not.” ae | ‘‘ What pledge will you give of your earnest affection?” “TY will marry her,” fees Tn the palace ?” . ao “ Yes, anywhere,” said the king, with much show of sin- — eerity, although he knew at the moment that if once the maid came into his power he would have but a mock cere- — thony, afterwards satisfy his bent with her, and then tear ~ from her all the secrets he imagined she possessed regarding the old astrologer, Ivan the Terrible, and the many plots and sehemes that were then on foot to dethrone him. ] ‘When then shall this ceremony be?” asked the old man, with much emphasis, : ‘Whenever you choose to name.” mn “Then three nights hence—at midnight let it be.” “ Agreed, with all my heart,” said the king, in great joy. “Here are pens, ink and paper; make that promise in ~ writing.” Upon the instant the king sat down and wrote out the marriage contract, although at the moment, it must be con- — fessed, a strange smile flitted across his features as he did so. “There it is,” said he, presenting the document to the old man, who, seeing it was duly signed, placed it on the table. ‘Ts that all that is required ere I can embrace the beauteous maiden?” asked the king, impatiently. Tt = ‘‘No,” said the old man, solemnly; ‘sign a passport for — her into the palace on that. night, and give your royal word that it shall"be the only one you will issue for the admittance — of any one into the palace that night.” “Oh, is that all?” said the king, ‘I will do that with the greatest pleasure,” “oe Saying which, be took the pen once more and wrote the’ requiregl pass, at the same time giving his sacred word of honour that no other person should be admitted to the palaee — on that same night, ‘ | “Are you now satisfied?” asked the king, when handed the passport to the old astrologer, st be mars Tam !” he said, After carefully perusing it, he placed it on the table beside the marriage contract, at the same time looking at the king, with a penetrating glance, he added, ‘No treachery, mark ye, or ye die !” com com chooks