Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 376: what you’re looking at

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

eee eee eee ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. rule his meanness and send for a surgeon in his despite—but how she herself administered the medicines that she purchased at the chemist’s. Then I recollected how Mrs. Parks insisted upon my going to school instead of suffering me to re- main to nurse my poor old grandsire; and I re- membered likewise how the kind-hearted Mrs. Kelly purposely gave me a holiday that I might be with my perishing relative. And now also to my mind with startling vividness came back a scene which has been duly recorded in the second chapter of my narrative,—how on reaching home on that occasion when the holiday was given, I found Mrs. Parks and her son seated very close together, in earnest whispering conversation over the fire, and how my unexpected entrance startled them up,—the son exhibiting the greatest confu- sion, and the old woman wearing an expression of countenance which had absolutely frightened me! And I likewise recoliected how Mrs. Parks had begged me not to mention to my grandfather that her son was there. All these circumstances had hitherto struck me as suspicious only in respect to the forgery of the will, since I had known of that forgery: but now, as I reviewed them, they appeared to assume a still deeper significancy and to point to a still darker crime. My horrible suspicions in respect to that crime were growing stronger and stronger as I contimued to review the incidents attending my poor grandfather’s death. I recollected how 363 Mrs. Parks used to occupy. I passed throuch it, with a cold shudder at the recollection that I had slept in such close vicinage with such a woman; and I entered the little chamber beyond. It was empty, as every other room was: but my imagi- nation readily depicted it as it was wont to be when I was its tenant; and again I thought to myself how different was now my position from what I could ever have foreseen in the girlhood that was associated with this little chamber! And now all my feelings, hitherto pent up, found a vent—and [ wept copiously. My tears relieved my surcharged heart: I wiped my eyes—and I was retracing my way through the room which used to be occupied by Mrs, Parks, when I dropped my kerchief. While stooping to pick it up, it seemed to me that the board on which my foot rested was loose, and that it vibrated in its setting. For a moment I was inclined to attach no particular importance to a circumstance which might well arise from the generally dilapidated condition of the house,—until I noticed that by the fact of treading upon that board and then withdrawing my foot, it had so glided back as it were out of its setting that one extremity now revealed a little opening. While contemplating that aperture, I observed that whereas all the other boards ran the full length of the room, each without any joining, this particular board had the appearance of being a piece let in. Could such an arrangement be for any particular purpose P he got better and worse—how on the morning of | Such was the question I asked myself; and all his last day he declared that he was well enough to get up and that | might go to school—how on my return home in the evening to tea, I felt con- vinced he was sinking—but how at ten at night circumstances, even the most trivial, were now fraugat with a degree of significancy and assumed an importance in my estimation. Indeed, the idea struck me that as my grandfather was a | he rallied and proclaimed himself to be much | miser, the house might contain hoarded wealth better again—and how within a couple of hours; hitherto unknown and unsuspected; and that he was a corpse! | such a contrivance as I now beheld upon the * Poison! poison!’? I murmured to myself, as; floor, might have served as one of the means the whole train of incidents swept like a ghastly phantasmagoria before my mental vision. “Every circutmstance.corroborates the frightful idea !—and I who never suspected if until now! Yes, thou wast murdered, my poor grandfather !—-murdered by the wretch who had so long eaten of thy bread! —and no doubt her son was an accomplice in the crime !” Again did I shudder to the uttermost confines of my entire being. Oh! no wonder that the house should have acquired so terrible a reputa- tion and that it should be deemed haunted !—for to me it even appeared to be accursed! I moved towards the door: but I scarcely know how it was, | there seemed to be somo species of horrible fasci- nation keeping me there, as if insensibly binding me to the contemplation of a spot which I had now no doubt had been the scene of a foul and fearful crime. At length, with a strong exercise of my resolution, I left the chamber. Again I thought I had seen enough of that house which wore the aspect of murder’s own abode: but again was I inspired by the wish to cast ono look upon for concealing the treasured gold, if any. I did not pause to reflect that it was unlikely encugh he would have chosen his housekeeper’s room for the purpose of such concealment: but applying my foot to the extremity of the board, I caused if to glide completely back from ifs proper place. At the first glance I be. held nothing ia the recess thus revealed, — until a closer inspection showed me some little dark object which looked like a folded rag or paper packet blackened with dust. I was half inclined to leave it there: indeed I was already turning away, when some incomprehensible feeling, having the sensation of a vague presentiment, prompted me to push my curiosity a little farther. With- drawing my glove, I took up the dark object, and found that if was a piece of rotting linen rag wrapped about some small hard substance. [ took off the rag; and I discovered this hard sub- stance to be a little tin-box, about as large as the usual gallipots in which cold cream or cerates are sold. A suspicion flashed to my mind: for had I not on a former occasion beheld certain little tin- the little chamber where I myself had been wont | boxes resembling this one? Yes!—and the box to sleep. I therefore ascended the staircase,—~ my footsteps still raising clouds of dust, and every stair creaking beneath me; while through the semi-obscurity that prevailed I again thought that | I beheld shadows fleeting. In a few moments I reached the room which which I now held in my hand, contained things which rattled in the metal inclosure. With shud- | dering form and with quivering fingers I opened the lid of the box; and therein I beheld half-a- dozen small lozenges, about the size of coffee. beans, and of a similar colour! COMMIG I,OOkK com