Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 332: what you’re looking at

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

re nei hg eee ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS, | “* But as we just now agreed between us, there are often strange noises in old houses: sometimes they concentrate themselves in one particular room, which thence obtains a reputation for being haunted. It may be so here.” “Tt may be so,” answered Beda. “If you are not frightened, dear Miss, I am sure I shall not be. No! I could not be frightened where you are !” . I patted her caressingly on the face; and then I said, as I held the cupboard door open, “ Look, my dear Beda—this place is empty! ‘The sounds, whatever they were, must have come from under- neath the boards—or else from behind the wain- scot ; and again must we recur to the presence of rats as the solution of the mystery.” Thus speaking, I closed the door of the cup- board; and we again sought our respective couches. I was almost inclined to tell Beda that she might share mine: but I was afraid that if I did so, the very circumstance itself might excite or increase her fears by seeming to indicate that I myself was frightened. Sleep came upon my eyes more quitkly than I could possibly have ex: pected ; and I slumbered on uninterruptedly until past nine o’clock. Beda was up and just com- Pe her toilet. I smiled as she came forth rom the dressing-chamber ; and I said, “ Well, my dear girl, how did you sleep after all?” “T slept soundly,” she responded, “ after that last fright——I mean, after the last time we wero startled.” “ AndTI also,” I said. the floods are subsiding.” “T sprang from the bed: we drew back the window-curtains—and as we surveyed the country from that side-casement, it struck us both that the waters had diminished to some little extent. _ “In reference to those little circumstances which startled us, Beda,” I said, “I think we had better not make any special mention of them; for if we do so, it will only be encouraging the superstitious belief which already prevails amongst the do- mestics. Perhaps I may privately mention to Mr. Tremaine my notion that there are rats under the boards, or behind the wainscot: but further than that ” _ “Rest asstred, dear Miss,” interrupted Beda, “that from my lips nothing shall go forth. I shall simply declare that we passed the night quite comfortably, and that the idea of the chamber being haunted is something only worthy of ri- dicule.” : “J do not know whether it be that the daylight renders me courageous,” I said, “ but according to my present feeling, I should not at all object to pass another night in this chamber, even if it were only for curiosity’s sake, so as to ascertain whether those sounds would be repeated. For now that we are prepared for them, Beda, we should be enabled on a second occasion to judge of them more calmly and dispassionately—and perhaps to arrive ata better conclusion what they really are.’ | “ Well, Miss,” said Beda, “if the floods have not subsided sufficiently to allow the guests to depart, we must sleep here another night: for of course it would not do for you to say that you de. cline. It would be either tantamount to an ad- mission that you had seen or heard something to alarm you—or else that you were afraid to try the experiment a second time.” “ But let us see whether 319 “True!” I observed: “but from the appear- ance of the flood [ should scarcely think that it can have subsided sufficiently for the guests to be enabled to take their departure.” My toilet was completed; and I now descended to the breakfast-parlour. Only Mrs. Tremaine, Miss Barron, Charlotte, and her two youngest sisters were as yet there. Charlotte at once raised her finger to her lips, at the same tine significantly pointing towards La- vinia and Emilia, as much as to give me to undet- stand that they were unacquainted with the fact that I had slept in the haunted chamber. I noticed that Miss Barron looked very pale: 1 in- quired if she were not wellf—she préssed her hand to her trow, complaining that her head ached dreadfully, and attributing it to the late hour to which she had sat up. “And you, my dear Hllen,” asked Charlotte Tremaine, looking hard at me,—“have you slept well ?” “So well,” I responded, “ that I feel completely refreshed, and have no sensation as if I had not retired to rest until three o’clock in the morning. But what of the floods 2” “They seem to have subsided somewhat,” an- swered Mrs, Tremaine; “and I hope that such may prove to be the fact. Mr. Tremaine and several of the gentlemen have ridden out to make a survey, so that when they return they may be enabled to report progress, I did not tell him,” she whispered in my ear, as she took me aside, “that you slept in the haunted chamber: for I thought that it might only annoy him that I had permitted you to do so and indéed, I was afterwards very sorry to think that I had al- lowed myself to be overpersuaded by you. But it was really very kind of you!” 3 At this moment the door opened; and a number of the lady-guests entered the breakfast-parlour. Others shortly afterwards made their appearance one by one; and finally the gentlemen‘ returned from their excursion. They were asa matter of course assailed by questionings from all sides; but the answers they had to give were far from satis- factoty. The flood had certainly subsided a little, and the waters were decreasing gradually; but the main road still continued impassable. It was blocked up as it were at two distidct points: namely, at the two angles of the park; and thus all egress beyond those two points was prevented. The bridge, to which Mr. Tremaine had on the preceding evening alluded, had fallen in or given way in some manner—but it could not at present be exactly conjectured how. At all events no equi- page could pass that way. Then, as for the other point, it was the hollow to which allusion had like- wise been made by the master of the mansion; and there the water proved to be deeper than he himself had estimated. “In fact, ladies,” said Mr. Tremaine, “from all we have been enabled to gather from my ser- vants and labourers, as well as from the countty- people, who are wading either on horseback or on foot through the deluge, there is no chance of a subsidence sufficient to allow the hollow to be passed or the bridge to be repaired until to-morrow. You must make up your minds to tarry another day atthe Hall. Expresses shall be sent off to the houses of those who desire to forward any such 0)(0)0) SS (E©)