Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 204: what you’re looking at

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

~ — watch ; and it was a few minutes afterwards that I heard a sound as if of some one moving in an adjacent room. I started up, and listened. Were the murderers coming? The blood stagnated in my veins at the thought. I was looking towards that side of the room in which the cupboard was situated, when the cupboard door opened, and a female form made its appearance. So dim was the light of the single candle, that I did not imme- diately recognise who it was: but. the lowly mur- mured word “ Hush!” was wafted to my ear; and the next instant hope thrilled to my heart, as I per- ceiyed that it was Zarah. She was dressed differ- ently from the style of her apparel on the former occasions that I had seen her. She wore a dark stuff gown, which displayed her robust but well- proportioned shape to considerable advantage ; her jetty black hair was carefully arranged in bands; she had white hose and neat shoes; and altogether she looked absolutely handsome. I have in a former chapter noticed how superb were her large black eyes—of what cherry redness were the full lips— and how white as ivory were the teeth: I also said on a previous occasion that she had a look of bold hardihood though by no means insolent: but even that hardihood itself was now tempered down, as if by the refining influence of some new and different sentiments which had taken possession of her soul. Sull, notwithstanding the i~ provement which in every respect now characterised her, it would have been impossible, even if I thus beheld her for the first time, to mistake her gipsy origin. There was the swarthiness of the complexion—there was the lustreless coal-blackness of the hair, which was to- tally deficient in natural gloss—and there was the peculiar vividness of light in the large eyes, which denoted the Zingaree. Hope, I said, thrilled through every pulse as I thus recognised Zarah; and she advanced towards me. I was about to catch her by the hand to wel- come her as my deliverer, when the thought sud- denly struck me that she as well as her mother must be cognizant of the crimes which had been committed by Edwin St. Clair and Lady Lilla Essendine, and that they were even accomplices in those crimes. It was thus that at the very moment when Zarah’s presence was most welcome, I expe- rienced a species of shock—my soul seemed to re- volt from the woman who stood before me. She however did not appear to notice what was passing within me: but she hastened to say, “ Miss Percy, again will I endeavour to befriend you.” “A thousand, thousand thanks!” I ejaculated, with a real enthusiasm; for all in a moment my dislike towards Zarah was absorbed in a sense of gratitude for this new service which she offered to render me. “ Hush!” she said; “speak not tooloud! My grandmother is on the watch ; and the two men are likewise still in the house. Hasten to put on your bonnet and scarf—and follow me.” I lost no time in obeying Zarah’s directions. The eupbolittl-door was standing wide open: she took the candle in her hand, and led the way. I now perceived that there was an inner door, which likewise stood open and communicated with the next room; so that what appeared to be a cup- board was in reality a species of recess between the two apartments, with a door on either side. Phe inner door she closed, both of us still remain- ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. 191 ing in the recess. Then she produced a large nail ; and this she thrust into the key-hole, where she worked it about with some violence for a few moments, evidently to give the lock the ap- pearance of having been forced and hampered. This being done, she opened the door again, and lifted it off its hinges: for these were of the kind which allowed that process to be adopted. This she did because there was a bolt on the inner side ; but it was not so firmly put on as to prevent the door from being thus lifted upward to the extent of an inch, which would really have been quite sufficient to remove it altogether, even supposing that the whole process had been performed by my- self from my own side of that door, and that the bolt had not been previously drawn back on the other side. We passed into the next room, which was completely denuded of furniture: the walls and ceilings were blackened and damp ; and in several places the plaster had fallen in. There was a door on the farther side of this room: Zarah took a key from her pocket, and locked it. Then, with a large nail, she forced off the lock—which she threw down in the room, together with the nail itself. “Now, Miss Percy,” she said, “ you wiliina few moments be at freedom. Perhaps you are un- aware of the neighbourhood in which this house is situated P” “ IT am entirely ignorant,” was my response. “And I dare not offer to guide you: I cannot leave the place for such a purpose,” continued Zarah, “ Attend however to my instructions. On gaining the road—or rather the bye-lane, in which the house stands, you will see lights at a distance. Proceed in that direction ; and in about @ quarter of an hour you will reach the vicinage of Highbury. You can then inquire your way. But while threading the lane, should you hear the sounds of a horseman advancing, retreat into the adjoining fields—or hide yourself in some manner —for fear lest you should fall in with Edwin St. Clair. And now, before we part, I have two favours to implore of you.” “Whatever you may ask, I am bound to con- cede,” was my reply: “but I sincerely hope that this time you will not stipulate $1 “ Yes—I must stipulate for secrecy!” she in- terrupted me. “ You know not perhaps the im- mensity of the service I have this evening ren- dered you ; and it is not too much for me to im- plore silence and secrecy on your part.” * You assuredly have a right to dictate,” I re- joined; “and it were the height of ingratitude for me to hesitate in yielding obedience to your in- junctions.” “IT expected no other answer from your lips,” said Zarah. “ Yes, Miss Percy—again must I en- join your forbearance in respect to Edwin St. Clair. That is one favour which I solicit at your hands; and you have already granted it. The other is that you will afford me an interview to- morrow, at the hour and place which you may think fit to name.” I was about to bid the gipsy call upon me in Hunter Street; but a second thought reminded me that the singularity of such a visit would necessitate some explanations to Mr. and Mrs. Norman, and that these I could scarcely give without alluding to the circumstances that had rendered me acquainted with Zarah. I accord- COMMUC 6)(6)(0) cS Com