Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 131: what you’re looking at

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THE BALLET-GIRL’S REVENGE. 125 (SS Ser OS Not the faintest glimmer of light penetrated that gloomy labyrinth of passage in which such bloody work was done, , “The door must have gone to by itself,” mur- mured Clara. It had. The door, she was unaware in her eager curiosity, fastened with a spring. **Dear, dear!’’ she exclaimed. ‘‘ Thisis truly un- fortunate at such a moment,”’ But little did she deem the annoyance it was to cause her yet. She felt the wall in every direction. up, and down. But no spring could she discover. At length it began to grow alarming. After some twenty minutes had been spent thus she could hear the yoice of the old servant calling Right, left, - upon her for aid in fainting tones. “Lady, lady,” he cried, ‘‘ for God’s sake do not desert me in this awful place.’’ *‘ Alas! poor Martin,” said Clara, ‘‘I cannot find the door. We are both prisoners.’’ ‘‘ Then I die. Oh, Heaven have mercy upon—’’ ‘¢ Martin, Martin.’ “Too late, Miss Clara!” CHAPTER L. ROSE AGAIN—THE WIDOWED HUSBAND—A NIGHT ALARM—ROBBERS—AN ADVENTURE—A SHOOT- ING MATCH—THE BLACK MASK—A FAMILIAR FOE—DEAD FOR A DUCAT—NO—FLIGHT OF THE WOUNDED MASK—THE LOOK-OUT—A SPECTRE —STARTLING DISCOVERY—AN OLD PRIEND— RE-APPEARANCE, To return to Rose. Whilst we have been so occupied with the doings of the other characters in our little drama a variety of changes has occurred in Rose Mortimer’s career. With these we now propose to deal withont delay. The intelligent reader will remember that upon quitting our heroine she had, with Mr. Chowler, the stage manager, made the discovery that the occupants of the stage-box, who appeared so eagerly to scan their forms and faces, were no other than the head of the local gentry—Lady Bellisle and her cousin, the next in succession to the earldom of Sloeford, Mr. Spencer Bellisle. Upon the occasion of the opening performance of Mr. Chowler’s company, with Rose Mortimer, as the Dumb Boy, in a prominent position, it will further be remembered that Lady Bellisle and Mr. Spencer Bellisle had received a strange and startling piece of information whilst in the theatre. A rumour soon spread about the theatre that the Earl of Sloeford had been found murdered in his bed. This was for long a most profound mystery to the manager and Rose. They could not at all comprehend how the fearful deed which they had been witnesses to upon the pre- vious night had only transpired after so long a lapse of time. It was in everybody’s mouth. But yet Rose Mortimer and the manager, by a mu- tual understanding, held their peace. They dreaded some danger, the precise nature of which they would have found it difficult to explain, from the vengeance of the assassins. The abduction of the landlady of the house at which Rose Mortimer was staying had sufficiently shown them that the guilty parties would hesitate at no crime, however bold and desperate, to hide their guilt from the eyes of the world. ““No, no, my dear Miss Mortimer,’ said Mr. Chowler, in the course of one of their many conver- sations upon this head. ‘‘We must hold our’ peace until the fitting moment arrives. Then we will speak and ease our minds.”’ “* As you please,” said Rose. “The strange disappearance of Mrs. Davis has rather alarmed me.’’ “And me too.” “Yes, it is rather humiliating to own oneself a thorough coward; but these are insidious enemies, who strike in the dark.”’ ““T dread the worst from their enmity,’’ said Rose, with a shudder. And thus the conference ended. Two days passed, and yet Mrs. Davis, the landlady, was absent. Her husband, who had been from home engaged at a neighbouring market town, returned at the expi- ration of this time. And now poor Rose was in a greater dilemma than ever. - It was pitiable to hear the young man lamenting for his young wife, so mysteriously disappeared, when Rose Mortimer could by a word have given him such aclue as would perhaps have led to her recovery. However, one day passed after the young man’s return, and not the slightest signs of Mrs. Davis. Her husband grew frantic. He tore all over the county, advertising such re-- wards for the recovery of his wife as would have made him bankrupt to meet. Rose was now in such great fear from what she had seen of the lengths the audacity of the mur- derers would lead them that she could not sleep at night. ‘he consequence was that one night she lay awake listening for voices which always are to be heard by the sleepless in the night, and staring at the window until her eyes ached. Every instant she expected to see the window pushed open, followed by the appearance of a masked head—a mask to be remembered until her dying day. Ah ! me,’’ signed Rose wearily as she lay. *¢ What a life of torment and troubleis mine! By the merest string of fortunate and unfortunate accidents Iescape one danger only to encounter others more alarming. For I fear that there is more immediate and real injury to be apprehended from these assas- sins than from the cruelty of the Whartons.”’ Her musings stopped abruptly. She looked about her curiously, as if uncertain of the cause of her fear. But yet there was cause, andthe next instant showed it still more. She could hear footsteps patrolling the road. Danger! But what was the nature of the danger she had yet to learn. She lay as still in her bed as the shivering caused by her fears would permit. Presently there was a sound as if the door below was being pushed—a kind of noise that made our heroine imagine that it was about to be forced. This was an agreeable situation ! Rose sprang from her bed and darted into the passage. ‘‘Mr. Davis! Mr. Davis!’ she cried ina frightened whisper. “Who's there?” cried the watchful husband of poor Mrs. Davis. , a KS “¢ Miss Mortimer ?’’ ce Yes.”’ ‘‘Lor, miss, what is it ?”” SSS COmChHoOokKS=co nn