Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

TUE BALLET-GIRL’S REVENGE. 21 the hours till they seemed to fly, nor was the com- paratively innocent excitement of gambling wanting. Edgar Deville, though the guest of the count, was paying heavily for his amusements. A week quickly passed by in every kind of pleasure. At the end of that time the count announced to his young friend that he was compelled to absent himself for a few days upon urgent business. “I must positively go, my dear fellow,” he said, ‘but I beg you to remain till my return. Treat everything asif it were your own. Do what you like. Go where you like—at least with one exception.” “‘ What is that?’’? asked young Deville. “* Only a foolish whim of mine ; but the further por- tion of the house—that which is always shut up—do not let your curiosity tempt you thither.’ “* Why not ?”’ asked the other, laughing. “* Because I am master of the house and I do not choose it,’ rejoined the count, his brow contracting as he spoke, but in a moment his face brightened and | he rattled on in his usual gay and cheerful manner. Edgar Deville, who was not without a kind of fear of his entertainer, said no more on that subject, and later in the day the count left the house in a close travelling carriage. . A week’s incessant dissipation had not been with- out its effect upon Edgar Deville, for pleasure will pall upon a man, however devoted he may be in his pursuit of it, and he felt but little inclination for the excesses in which he aud the count had indulged together. Listlessly he strolled from the house into the park- like grounds which surrounded it, and lighting a cigar paced slowly up and down upon the lawn. After a while his eyes rested on that portion of the house which the count had cautioned him not to enter. It was a projecting wing, older and in a more di- lapidated condition than the other portion of the building. It consisted only of two storeys, the windows of the upper one being closed with shutters, while the lower portion was so out of order and overgrown with ivy as at once to proclaim it uninhabited. ‘< It’s deuced queer,’’ said young Deville. ‘‘I can’t understand it. Of course, as the count doesn’t wish it, I won’t go in, but there’s no harm in stepping up and looking at the place outside.’’ He suited the action to the words, but there was nothing to be seen. The windows of the ground floor came down so low that he could easily see in, but the rooms merely con- tained heaps of dust-covered lumber, and did not appear to have been entered for years. As he turned to retrace his steps he became con- scious that one of the gardeners was intently watch- ing his movements. ‘‘ Hang the fellow!’’ said Deville pettishly. ‘* Ler- no needn’t have set spies to watch me. Of course I’m not going in, but I should like to know what he’s got locked up there.” The fact was, the young fellow’s curiosity was roused, and, in spite of all his host had said, he en- deavoured the following day to find out something connected with the mysterious wing, though without transgressing the count’s command. For this purpose he tried to follow a long passage which, from his knowledge of the house, he knew must lead to the forbidden part. After a while his progress was stayed by a door which blocked up the end of the corridor. Suddenly as he stood it opened. He canght one momentary glance, and that showed him, to his surprise, that the seemingly ordinary door was thickly plated with iron on the inner side, and that, moreover, it possessed a complication of fastenings in the way of bolts, bars of steel, and massive chains. | ‘‘ What do yon want here?’ asked the man who | had come from the mysterious wing, in a gruff surly tone, at the same time putting his hand into his | breast. Edgar Deville fancied as he did so that he saw it grasp the butt end of a pistol. Faintly he stammered an apology, and the owner of the gruff voice conducted him back along the passage, mnuttering a caution to him not to wander about the parts of the house he didn’t know. ‘“‘ For fear of accidents,’’ said the man with peculiar emphasis, again putting his hand into his breast, ‘“for fear of accidents, you’d better not come this way again.” Edgar took the hint, and was not sorry to regain the inhabited portion of the house. Two days passed, and the count had not returned, and his young guest was beginning to feel somewhat | dull and tired. Pleasure was dull and insipid without the count to share it with him, and the mystery of the closed wing still dwelt upon his mind and worried him with a rest- less curiosity to unravel it. It was a fine bright night and Edgar Deville had just finished his dinner. So bright and clear was it that he was tempted forth into the grounds to smoke his digestive cigar. Wandering about, his steps brought him within sicht of the closed wing, when to his surprise he per- ceived that the shutters of one of the windows were open, and that a bright light from the interior shone through. It was plain that the building was inhabited. But who were its occupants ? Young Deville lit a second cigar as he leant against a wall and wondered. He was idle and curious. Was there no way in which he could satisfy his curiosity ? Yes. In looking round, his eyes rested upon a short ladder. The window from which the light shone was at no great distance from the ground. Surely he might, without much risk, climb by its aid and peep into that secret upper storey. He resolved to make the attempt. Planting the ladder firmly, but noiselessly, he slowly and cautiously ascended till his head was on a level with the window-sill. ‘Then, scarcely daring to breathe, he peered into the room. It was a small room into which he looked, and totally devoid of furniture. The light which streamed through the window came from a powerful Jamp placed upon abroad shelf afew feet from the ground. Upon this shelf were several different-sized packets, and that was all! The room was untenanted. Edgar Deville was puzzled, but his curiosity was stiJl further aroused. What was the meaning of this mystery ? Why was he warned not to enter so very ordinary a room ? It was no dismal ghastly Blue Beard chamber after all. Still there might be more, if he could but obtain an entrance into the chamber, he thought. Stealthily he placed his hand upon the window- frame and pushed it upward. To his surprise it yielded to his touch and opened noiselessly, and in a few moments he was standing in the room. He was actually in the mysterious wing itself. The thought of having acted dishonourably to his COMA AHKE SXEKE)