Rosa Lambert — page 361: what you’re looking at

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

ee 350 ROSA LAMBERT. “So now, Miss Rose,” he said, “I stand ajan air of piteous entreaty, said, “Bor heayen’s chance of being equal with you. Ha! ha! you | sake do not threaten me! Do with me what you little thought I was concealed the whole time | will—but spare my life—and I will yield to you amongst the trees while you were walking with , I will obey you—I will even thank you for your your lover! J have been on the watch to catch | merey if you promise not to kill me!” you in some way or another for the last fortnight ; “That's speaking reasonably,” said Toby Gray. and this is not the first time I have lurked in the | son; “and if you keep in this humour, I shall grounds. Jlitherto I have got over the wall: to- | not hurt you. I should be a fool if I did not night I found the gate unlocked—and the reason | prefer you full of life and consciousness to being was pretty soon cleared up; for if young Ilderton | insensible and inanimate.” had not entered at the instant, I should have “Ob, 1 know that I am in your power!’ T pounced upon you. You little thought of having murmured, still in that same tone of earnest and me to-night as your bed-fellow instead of the anguished entreaty: “for heaven’s sake spare my stripling aristocrat !”’ | life 1” While Toby Grayson was thus speaking, Ihad| But all the time [I was addressing the ruffian leisure not only to examine him, but likewise to | with a look and manner as if I wére completely collect my own thoughts: for the conviction was | overpowered and had not a single resouree left, f foreed upon me that never did I so much stand was retreating towards the fire-place; and Toby m need of my self-possession and fortitude. Toby Grayson kept on advancing with the pistol in his Grayson was dressed in coarse apparel: indeed he | hand, as I thus seemed to be shudderingly and was disguised as a butcher, with a blue smock: | coweringly drawing back. and he had large red whiskers—evidently false “Well, then, you submit?” he gaid. “ And ones. His appearance was horrible; and the bare | now come into my arms!” thought of becoming the victim of that monster, “Thank God!—Ilderton!’ I suddenly ejacu- was indeed sufficient to inspire me with an almost | lated, glancing towards the door as if I at the preternatural courage. He appeared to be so | moment beheld it open: and I caused my coun. certain of his game—so confident in his power to | tenance to light up at the same instant with an carry out all his infamous purposes—that he was | expression of enthusiastic joy. In no hurry, but stood against. the door devouring Toby Grayson, thrown utterly off his guard by me with his gloating looks,—as I, in my muslin | this abruptly executed strategem on my part, wrapper, and with my hair gathered up in a loose | looked round. Quick as the eye can wink I knot behind my head, remained in the middle of | snatched up the poker; and at the very instant the room. What could I do to save myself? My) that he was turning towards me again, I dealt mind was made up, in case of the worst, to alarm | him such a terrific blow upon the head that it the whole house with my screams, even at the | felled him on the spot. I thought I had killed risk of the monster revealing everything he had | him; and horror for a moment seized upon me. overheard between myself and Ilderton; but this | But I quickly ascertained that he was only mode of proceeding was only to be adopted asa stunned; and I experienced a feeling of imfinite last resource. For if I could possibly outwit him | relief:—I would not have had his death upon my —if I could spare myself the shame and degrada- | conscience. To bind him hand and foot with towels, tion of exposure before all the servants—and | or anything that came first in my way for the pur- chiefly, if £ could save Henry Ilderton’s name | pose, was now the work of a few minutes: and I from being mentioned in a way that would cause | bound him too in such a fashion that he should a scandal throughout the island and inevitably , not be enabled to gain his feet, if he were to re- reach the ears of his relations,—it was in every | cover consciousness during the temporary absence way desirable to adept so prudential a method. that I now meditated. Before I left the room, Such were the reflections which swept through | however, I took up the pistol which he had let my mind, quick as thought alone can travel when | drop, and searched his pockets for any other a cruel emergency gives it a tremendous impulse; | weapons he might have about him. I found an- and my eyes, without appearing to take them- | other pistol, and a long clasp-knife. All these selves off Toby Grayson’s form, embraced at a | things I took with me,—determined that if with glance all the objects that were near. the power of Samson in the hands of the Philis- “J need not tell you,” the ruffian speedily re- | tines, he should by any possibility be enabled to sumed, “that if you venture to raise a single cry | rend his bonds asunder, he should at least be de- or speak too loud, I shall at once deal such a blow | prived of the means of dealing instantaneous upon that pretty head of yours that will make | death. you quict; and if it should happen to silence you| Issuing from the room, I tripped lightlyand noise- for ever, it will be your own fault.” ‘lessly down the private staircase, and unfastened Thus speaking, he drew forth a pistol,—holding | the side-door,—which I of course very well knew it by the barrel so that in the twinkling of an/| the ruffian had secured on gaining admission into eye he could carry his atrocious threat into exe-| the house. I was almost instantaneously accosted cution with the butt-end of the weapon. ' by Henry Ilderton; and as it was but little more “Now,” he said, advancing slowly towards me, | than a quarter past eleven, he had not given up “if L only see your lips move as if to ery out] the hope that the door would be unfastened: before I can seal them with my own,—you know! he had naturally concluded that some little what you have to expect.” delay of an unforeseen character was taking A thought flashed to me quick as lightning.| place. In a few hurried words I described to him Pretending to be overwhelmed with terror, though | my adventure with Toby Grayson, and explained in reality being now nerved with a fortitude which | how we must get rid of him. Ilderton’s amaze- surprised myself, L clasped my hands; and with ; ment and indignation, as well indeed as the horror Gomicbooks.co