Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 276: what you’re looking at

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a a eee ——————— ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS, 263 blind up suddenly and drop it again: I shall understand the signal. But if, on the other hand, you wish me to adopt some other means so as to effect your release without the chance of noise and exposure, be so kind as to lift up the corner of the curtaingently three times. Or again, if you wish to giveme a few whispered instructions (in which ease I shall suppose that Dame Betty is a prisoner along with you, and therefore will help rather than hinder) be so good as to wave your kercbief out of the window foran instant. I will manage to creep up again with but little risk of discovery on the part ! of the three men in the room below. “Your humble but devoted servant, : “ WiititramM LARDNER,” Such were the contents of William Lafdner’s note; and my heart was filled with joy at the certainty of such friendly aid being nigh at hand. [hastily deliberated with myself for a fow instants in respect to the course that I should adopt; and then I decided on communicating to Dame Betty the incident which had just occurred. * Hush!’ I said, advancing towards her; “do not give vent to any loud ejaculation! There is hope! This billet has just been thrust in at the window. Read it !—it explains itself!” The dame for a moment surveyed me with as- tonishment; but her countenance quickly bright- ened up—she snatched the billet from my hand and greedily ran her eyes over its contents. : “ William Lardner?” she said: “ Why, that must be the young man at Ramsgate 7 “ Yes—who saved my life,” I interjected, “ when St. Clair planned and prepared the diabolical stratagem in reference to the yacht. But of that no matter! You may judge whether the youth is trustworthy by that letter, which he has written doubtless by the aid of the moonlight—and by the risk he is running at the haads of these rufiians below.” | “Yes, yes—he is faithful! that is evident, Miss Percy!” said the dame. “And what do you mean to do?” “For my part,” I answered, “I think the best and the shortest mode is to make the first sig- na)——.”’ - “That he may fetch the constables from Peters- field ?” interjected Dame Betty. “Yes, yes! to be sure! ‘The shortest plan is the best! Anything so that I may be enabled to get up to London in time ~ “Enough!” I said. “It is agreed, therefore, that the first signal shall be made.” Scarcely had I thus spoken, when a sudden ejaculation on the part of one of the ruffians down stairs reached the ears of Dame Betty and myself. were in full pursuit. Dame Betty was quickly by my side; and she ejaculated, “ Oh, they will take him! they will take him!” ““No!—look how he runs!” I cried. There! he speeds along the road !—he is gaining ground! he will outstrip his pursuers !—Oh, no! he will be taken, and we are lost!” “ Perdition!” muttered Dame Betty in a low but concentrated voice of mingled rage and disap- pointment; and she struck her crutch forcibly upon the flooring of the apartment. : The sudden turn which was so disastrously given to the hopeful prospects of our cause, arose from William Lardner falling headlong all in a moment, as if he had tripped over something in his path, or else been ‘smitten a blow by an invisible hand. There he lay—I knew not whether he had stunned himself by the fall, or whether he had been stricken down by apoplexy! But certain it was that there he fell, and there he lay motionless; and in a very few instants the pursuers were upon him. They raised him up: the flood of moonlight enabled me and Dame Betty to perceive that he lay like one dead in their arms; and they evidently examined him attentively for nearly a minute. Then they carried him hurriedly along the road, retracing their way to the gate; and as they entered the court-yard, I cried out, “Let me minister to the unfortunate young man! Surely you will not let him die rf You hold your tongue, Miss!” growled forth the individual whom i have all along denominated the spokesman of the trio. “This is serious enough, [ can tell you; and if you don’t’ remain quiet, you'll find that it’s no child’s play that we are engaged in, and that some of the threats we held out just now will be put into execution.” “T care not for your threats!” I cried; “ you may do your worst! I will not remain here with- out raising a voice when a fellow-creature is per- haps dying for want of the services that we can render !” “Let her talk on!” exclaimed another of the men: “ she must know it’s all of no use—and if she don’t know it, she’ll very soon find it out.” “At all events,” I said, now recovering sufli- ciently from the excitement of my feelings to"per- ceive how utterly useless it indeed was to beat the air with words which had no other effect than that of irritating the ruffians,—“ at all events I beseech you to treat that young man with kindness— to show him such attentions as he may re- quire 2 “ Oh, he’s all right enow!” growled the prin- cipal ruffian : “he'll come to soon enough. And precious lucky he tripped at the moment he did ; for I was just on the very point of sending a It was a terrible curse, coupled with the words, ! brace of bullets after him.” “A spy!”—and then there was a rush of several | footsteps from the doorway forming the entrance into the oast. | “He is discovered !” I cried, almost frantic and desperate with alarm: and I rushed to the win- dow. Tearing aside the curtain, 1 looked out. The moon was shining gloriously; and I could dis- tinetly perceive some one—who I felt assured must be William Lardner—leaping over the gate leading from the court-yard into the road that separated it from the straw-yard. The three men * And I had got my barkers ready,” added an- other of the desperadoes. “ Wretches!” I inwardly ejaculated. As they approached the building, I strained my eyes to obtain a view of William Lardner’s coun- tenance as he was being borne onward by the three men; and now a cry of horror burst from my lips as I caught sight of a dark stain upon his forehead—a stain which instinet even more than my own vision at once told me was blood, He is wounded!” [ ejaculated : “ ke has burt himself seriously! Perhaps he is killed! TI be- COA | ebook Se (EO)