Penny Dreadfuls, 1866 · page 61 of 276
Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 61: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# What This Page Contains This is a **text and illustration page from a Victorian penny dreadful** titled "Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night." The page presents **Chapter XXX**, which describes a dramatic scene in a secret cabinet where Ivan encounters two ghostly, sword-wielding guardians protecting hidden treasure (a jeweled basket and embossed parchments). When a character named Dreadnought approaches, the guardians' eyeless sockets emit blue light, they cry out "The spell is broken!", and vanish with a thunderous sound. The passage emphasizes Gothic horror elements—darkness, supernatural voices, and mysterious supernatural guardians—typical of sensational Victorian melodrama aimed at working-class readers seeking thrills and supernatural intrigue.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
M iii i , if ay on De Se Ok, DARK DEE > Ls TERRIBLE; DS OF NIGHT. ail ia ij ih ( vi a ee am Ml PHEIUMIT il = _— — — iB Mill) J if tj): Hi fini i} | HT! ft’ vi! biget i Lidl il Ai igilis ae ee ’ Hea i il f Mi rat i if Hh Hl li Hla I bs VN ni Dil | i \ vt aoe oe ih I seSEEP cries wh) TTA TTT ere ' Lith T aT Nit Nh —— THE DEADLY ATTACK IN CHAPTER XXX. THE SECRET CABINET—THE SPECTRE GUARDIANS—THE TREASURES — THE INFERNAL MACHINE — THE MATCH APPLIED—TERROR SEIZES ALL—SUDDEN FLIGHT—IVAN’S BRUTALITY—LEONORA TEMPEST—THE SUDDEN BLOW IN THE DARE—BLUE JACKET TO THE RESCUE, IVAN trembled at what he saw, and fell powerless to the ground, Within that Secret Cabinet sat two grim, ghastly guardians of the hidden treasure. They were clothed in white from head to foot. In their skeleton hands they held swords aloft, as if ready to strike any intruder that dared place foot in that secret sanctuary. Between them there reposed on a rich green velvet cushion a jewelled basket which held a small but brilliant diade a and a scroll of richly embossed parchments, Sit No. 8. NOTICE.— Another Engraving (to be presented = =. = —— —————— ——————SSSS_L___——_——_=>——————— ——‘Tyan ! Ivan! arouse thee ! Wet SNR! UTE cua UL =I{II) — TT —————— .——_— = =~ ( HEN —<—$———__ rn | Axel L s f - mi I } ffl HH Wy oo LL ——_— aSSS58 SSS —| 2 it §FVS=a=sS——S— i THE CHURCH.—See Ne. 9. As Dreadnought approached the open door with slow and measured steps, blue lights blazed from the eyeless sockets of ee two grim guardians, and voices cried aloud in awful ones, ‘The spell is broken !” And vanished with loud and startling cries that awoke a hundred echoes through distant apartments. The old man with trembling steps approached the Secret Cabinet. With eager hands and flaming eyes he clutched the treasure. He had retreated but a step or two when the door slammed to again with sounds like a clap of thunder! All was total darkness, and winds whistled through the room dolefully and wild, Moments, preci HY {\ let's instantly begone !” Sear Poy ref - With ie difficulty Ivan was aroused from the dreamy Gomichbooksreoim Due notice will be given.