Rosa Lambert — page 367: what you’re looking at

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

—— nd ROSA expression of malignant satisfaction passed over his sallow countenance. Who would have thought that he was capable of such vindictive malignity ? I had all along known him to be irascible and ill- tempered—I had experienced his coward brutality in the form of a blow: but I never could have conceived that his disposition was susceptible of such pitiful spite and bitter rancour as he was now demonstrating towards me, Oh, to baffle him !— Oh, to outwit him!—to succeed in that aim, I felt, would be almost as joyous as to be enabled to meet the young, the handsome, and the amiable Ilderton. : But the hours passed on—and nothing transpired to afford me a hope of succour from without. I remained watching at the window to see if Thomas would make his appearance: but as the afternoon declined, and evening approached, and I saw him not, I was forced to fall back upon my former belief that he had been bought over to the interests of his master. The female-servants brought me in my dinner between five and six o’clock: but Sir James Thornley came not near me,—though three or four times during the day I saw him in the garden; and on each occasion I fancied that he looked up at me with a fiendish expression of triumph. It was a little past six; and Sir James was no doubt at that hour sitting down to enjoy the pleasures of the table, when all of a sudden I was startled by a sharp, whizzing, whistling sound shooting as it were through the air; and in a moment something fell into the middle of the laundry. It was an arrow, with a scrap of paper tied to 16; and it had been shot through the open window that was farthest from the one at which L was seated. I sprang forward—picked up the arrow—tore away the note—and found it to con- tain the following lines :— “Tf you will bo in readiness, Miss, at twelve o’clock to-night, I hope to be able to set you at liberty. ‘* Your obedient Servant, ‘s THOMAS.,” Joy sprang up in my heart. I hastily returned to the window, and beheld the faithful livery- servant emerging from the shrubbery on the opposite side of the garden, and from the shade of which he had evidently discharged the arrow with so accurate an aim. He looked up at me for a moment: I made him a sign of intelligence; and he sauntered on towards the house. arrow underneath the mattrass of the bed—and began wondering by what means Thomas purposed to succour me. However, certain it was that I had now reason to hope; and very different were my feelings from what they were a few minutes back. The time passed on more quickly and mcre agreeably: for there was now some pleasure in communing with myself. At eight o’clock the servants brought me in some tea in the common kitchen tea-pot: I pretended to look mournful— but I thought to myself that if my escape were effected, they would assuredly have to bear the brunt of all the il-humour which was certain to be excited on the part of Sir James Thornley. I closed the windows before ten o’clock; and half-an-hour afterwards I extinguished the light which had been left me when the servants brought my tea. A little after eleven I heard the domestics retiring to their rooms on the same floor as that - onecume «eae wee +o I thrust the | | instant. —_——_——_ ee eo _—— — — oe ee on which the laundry was situated; and as the time approached for the promised demonstration of sucevur, | became somewhat nervous with sus- pense. At about twelve o'clock I caught tho sound of something striking against one of the window-frames; and hastening forward, I per- ceived a dark object, like a piece of board gus. pended to a rope, hanging against that window. I gently raised the sash; and found that it was precisely what I had taken it for—a piece of plank, about two feet and a half long, attached to a stout rope in such a way as to forma seat. I[ now at once comprehended the manner in which I was to escape,—that Thomas was on the roof of the house, and that I was to be lowered down by this machine, I shuddered at the idea: but the next instant, ashamed of my apprehensions, I re- solved to entrust myself courageously to that con- trivance. I had already put on my bonnet and shawl; and on catching hold of the rope, it was gently lowered to the length to which I thus pulled it: but by the feel I could tell that it was firmly held by my assistant overhead; and I had no doubt he had passed the rope round a chimney or some other object, in order to obtain a better purchase in gradually lowering it. I was soon settled in the machine: Thomas could tell by my weight when I had thus embarked in my aerial vessel; and slowly and gradually was I lowered. It was a beautiful moonlit night; and thus, on emerging from the window on the highest storey of that lofty mansion, my eyes could plunge down into the abyss beneath; and for a moment such a dizziness seized upon me that I felt asif I must inevitably let go: but closing my eyes for a mo- ment, I quickly recovered my presence of mind. Thomas was evidently exercising the greatest cau- tion; for my descent was gradually made at an uniform rate, without the slightest jerk: and my feet presently touched the firm ground. Retreating a few paces, I looked up to the top of the house—and beheld Thomas leaning over the parapet. He made me some sign, which I could not rightly understand: but methought it was to bid me remain where [ was: and then he hastily drew up the rope and the board. Five minutes elapsed; and I began to think that I had possibly misunderstood the sign,—when I heard footsteps approaching round the angle of the building; and Thomas made his appearance. “This way, Miss!” he said: “we must break ‘open the back gate—or else you must climb the wall.” But scarcely were these words spoken, when the sounds of other footsteps reached my ears, and likewise those of the faithful domestic at the same They too were coming round the angle of the building ; and we both stood irresolute, as if stricken with terror. The next instant we beheld the form of the old nabob emerge into the flood of moonlight; and an ejaculation of mingled rage and astonishment burst from his lips. Simul- taneously we both bounded forward and seized upon him,—I at once and unhesitatingly thrust- ing my handkerchief into his mouth. He strug- gled desperately : but I said, “ For heaven’s sake, hold him fast, Thomas! We will not use unne- cessary viclence—but still we must secure him. Let us fasten him to a tree!” Thomas required no urging on from my lips: es —