The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-01-29 00:00:00

SATURDAY, JAN. 29, 1887.

ADRIENNE

OR,
THE SHADOW OF THE PAST.

[ALL BIGHTS RESERVED. j

CHAPTER VI.
ADRIENNE followed Eady across a wide gallery, an
paused before the door of the lady's tower, while the
negress selected a key from the large bunch eh(
carried in her pocket. She thrust it into the disusee
lock wi h a harsh, grating sound, and after sevens'
efforts she succeeded in turning it.
The door at length unclosed, and they stepped int(
an apartment, three sides of which were octagonal
while the fourth one was filled up by a large armion
built against the wall, and an alcove in a line with it
filled up by a bed. The furniture was of the fame
style as that in the lower room, covered witt
faded damask, though here it had once been rose.'
coloured.
Tha alcove was draped with lace curtains, and
above them was a cornice of carved work representing
a basket of flowers upheld by a pair of dimpled I (wet
Which seemed to float above, sustained by their ex.
panded wings. A large mirror,extending from the floes
to the ceiling, occupied the space between two of tint
windows, and opposite to this was placed a dressing.
stand, with an oval glass which enabled the occupant
of the room to view her whole figure when in full
toilette.
A few pictures were upon the walls mostly repro.
tenting mountain scenery, which had probably been
preferred from the contrast they afforded to the flat
country in which Madame Lecour had passed the
latter portion of her life. A small carpet, an article
of great luxury at that time in the colony, lay in front
of the small fire-place; it had been woven in France,
in imitation of Gobelin tapestry, and the arabesque
pattern, in which the most gorgeous colours were con-
trasted, was now faded and worn. Heavy curtaine
of rose damask were held back by carved water-lilies,
and the new occupier looked with surprise at a degree
of elegance.she had not expected to find in so new a
country. She expressed something of this, and Eady
pompouily replied:
" De 'plen,shin' o' dis 'partment were brung from
Franco when de mistis were a rich young heiress.
She chous 'em in Paris herself, an' a vessel what
&longed to her father brung her back from school,
w id all de fine things she bought wi' de money dat
neber was put away when she wanted to spend it."
"Did you live with your mistress in those days,
Eady
"No, 'deed, I wishes I had. I blong's to the
marster, sure 'nuff, for he got me and my old man
arter he married rich Madame Mendon. I only came
to live wi' her, jest afore she departed."
" Departed ? where to?" asked Adrienne. "If she
died, you use a strange form of speech."
"Hi! sure 'nut?, now, you aint used to nigger talk,
or you'd a know'd dat I meant to tell you of her
death. Yes, de angels came for her, but dey say she
can come back, but Lor', chile! you needn't get so
white, like, for de White Terror don' come in here.
She had too much trouble in die room to make her
willin' to come back to it."
"The White Terror !" repeated Adrienne faintly.
"Then my grandfather was not jesting, and the old
house is really haunted ?"
" Don't get frighted, young mistis, caze of it be, she
ain't a-going to come atter you. It's de ole house she
walks in, for she lived thar in happiness wi' de husban'
her father married her to. Di s was her 'partment
when she was married to your grandfather, and de life
she led wi' hint wasn't sich as would make her come
back to de places where dey was together."
" Did he treat her badly ?' asked Adrienne with an
Irrepressible desire to learn something more oiMadame
',comes history. Eady shook her head, and replied,
almost in a whisper:
"Take my 'vice, young mistis, an' don' ax no ques-
tions 'bout your grsn'pa. He mought find it out, an'
you 'member what he said to you jes' now."
The young girl coloured at this rebuff, and Eady
crossed the room and unclosed the wide doors of the
amoire. On one side it was filled with shelves, but
the opposite one, in place of having the usual supply
of hooks for suspending ladies' dresses, revealed a
plan door with a small steel knob, communicating
with a spring. The old woman touched this, and the
door flew back, revealing a dark, narrow stairway,
leading evidently to the room below.
"It were a whim o' de mistis dat de steps shouldn't
be seen, an' she thought dig contrivance very clever.
Dere is a elidin' panne' in de wall o' de lower Loom,
sri' a knob like this one, an' you can Idlers get through
when you choose to go downstairs. In mistis's day a
lamp used to hang here, and you'll have to get along
widout dat 'commodation, caze de marskr keeps so
much light hisself, he don't low much to other?
people."
Adrienne looked into the dark abyss that seemed to
open at her feet, and with a shiver said:
"I believe I shall keep this doorway closed, and
use the staircase leading from the gallery. I would
rather walk in the open air than go through such a
dreary, musty-looking place as that."
"I 'sped you'll change your mind afore you've
been here very long," replied Eady, significantly.
" Year gran pa ain't fond o' new faces, an' some days
he'll hardly let me come anigh him to bring him his
vittles, fond as he is of eatin' of 'ern. I stren'ously
'vise you to keep out o' his way when he ramps and
rages roun' like a mad creetur, as he sometimes
does."
"Good Heavens! is M. Lecour really subject to at-
tacks of madness? If he is, I shall scarcely feel safe
beneath the same roof with him."
Early impressively replied :
"Ef you has any other place to go to, I'd vise you
not to stay in creole dismal house, caze you'll die o'
de dismals ef you 'scrapes de marster's furies, though
I don't znctly consider him out o' his mind, only a
leetle cracked in de upper story, and the green stuff
he chews makes him kind o' wild sometimes, an' he
does strange things."
Adrienne listened to this account with a sinking
heart. Here she must remain, for she had no other
refuge en earth. She was friendless, homeless, and
could claim no other shelter beside that afforded her
by this singular old man. She felt how impossible it
was for her to claim the hospitality of Madame
Crozart, even if forced to leave her present asylum,
for she foresaw that Adolphe would speedily ask her
to become his wife. Before they parted, Madame
Cro7art had broadly hinted her son's passion, and her
own willingness to waive all considerations of fortune,
and accept her as M. Mendon's choice.
Had no other attachment existed, Adrienne would
have felt it to be impossible to give her hand to M.
Mendon. He was nearly twice her age, and by no
means attractive to her. She respected him, felt
grateful to hm for services he had rendered her, but
in her e-timation love was something too precious to
be given in exchange for lands and gold. He had
thought to tempt her with the description of the
stately home in which he had dwelt with his first
wife in the island of Jamaica, of which she was a
native, and hinted that he could afford to keep a second
choice, even if destitute of fortune herself, in the same
splendour that had surrounded his lost Sylvie. Thenhe
dwelton the secluded and monotonous existence she
must lead with her eccentric grandfather; but Adrienne
listened, unmoved in her purpose: she was free from
conventual restraint, and she could bear a few months
of seclusion, with the buoyant hope in her young heart
that her lover would remain true to her; she would
win a place in the heart of the old man, whose life she
hoped to brighten, and in time he must lend a favour-
able ear to their attachment. From his great wealth
he would portion her, and in good time they could be
united.
Thus dreaming, she followed Eady from side to
side, as she opened drawers and cabinets, and showed
her the elegant articles which had been collected by
her mistress, and carefully stored away by herself lest
dust or damp should injure them. Among them were
exquisite china ornaments, parian statuettes re-
presenting miniature copies of the most celebrated
statues of antiquity, and several cameos, carved with
delicate skill. A case filled with a collection of melals,
and a portfolio containing a number of drawings made
by Madame Lecour herself, were deeply inter •sting tc
Adrienne, as affording some insight into the pursuits
of her pre lecessor in that apartment.
sow I'm goin' to show you somethin' real grand,'
said Eady. "But you mus' neber hint to my marster
dat you's seem 'em ; case hell fairly take my head off
for lett in' on dat sich valerable things is kept in de ole
house."
" then it will be better perhaps, for you not to
Show them at all," suggested Adrienne.
The old woman sturdily replied:
"It won't do any harm, as I knows on, an' you
may as we.. see eITI
,
11 as not. Fact is, I likes to look
at 'em once in a while myself, for dey
.mortal.
fine."
With great solemnity, she looked over a bunchol
keys, and, selecting one of a peculiar shape, inserted
it in the lock of an antique inlaid cabinet. The doors
unclosed and revealed several jewel cases with their
lids lifted, and their glittering contents exposed to
views A magnificent parure of diamonds flashed
beck the light of day- a garniture of pearls lay upon
the dark velvet of the next ; but the most attractive
Was a s t of opals, which seems to drink in the light
of the sun as it streamed upon them, and momen-
tari y kindle to a deeper splendour as their fiery
hearts received new fuel from the daybeams.
The young girl eagerly stretched forth her hand
to lift them from their beds, but the negreas_with-
leed her.
"No, young mistis' you musn't tech 'em, for de
madame place'd
'em here wi' her own han' do day
afore —well— nebber mind when; but dey's jes' as
she la'd 'em down out o' her white fingers, an' it
seems to me det I can see her lily han' fiitterin'
ever 'em as I seen her put 'em away for de las'
time."
" Where ? I see eothing," said Adrienne, with a
shiver, for she was completely unnerved, and took
the REiSt rtion o' the old woman as a literal fact.
"Oh, chile, I jes' aces it in my mem'ry, dat 's all.
Adrienne drew a long breath, and pointing to a
deep drawer in the lower part of the cabinet, asked:
" %%let is kept in there ?"
Eady replied by unlocking the drawer, and display-
ing folds of silk and lace, yellowed by time and want
of use. She took out a bridal robe, and held it up.
Dis were worn wi' de diamon's, when de madame
marries to please her father. Dose was gran' doin's
den, for de ole man had sot his heart on de match, an'
at last 'suaded her inter it."
It was point lace, looped with orange blossoms,

now crushed and faded. Eady then, taking out a
plain white Bilk, with no ornament whatever, went
on:

"She wore dis one when she give her hand to my
present marster, and I's been tole dat de fire-stones
yonder was all de ornymen she put on. Hi ! but dey
showed the fiery trials she had to pass through wi'
him."
There was also a third dress of plain muslin, with
only a few knots of white ribbon. Eady dubiously
surveyed it, as she said:
"I never knowed what die were worn for, but I
reckin de pearls went wi' it; for I'se seen de madame
shed tars 'nuff over it to make a bushel o' pearls,
Dere was some mighty sorrowful 'membranous
blonging to dis dress, I's sure, but I never knowed
what day was."
"And what is in that small, yellow bundle ?" asked
the inquisitive stranger, who had become vividly in-
terested in all these details.

Ah, dat have always been a mys'try to me. Dey's
baby's close—a complete suit on 'ern, wi' lace an' all
kinds o' dainty work; but to my knowledge de
mistis never had a chile o' her own. I don' no why
she'd keep de close b'longing to other people's chil'ren
'mong her most precious perssessions. Yes—dat am
a mystery I can't get at nohow."
With a feeling of eager interest for which she
could not account, Adrienne lifted the bundle and un-
rolled it. A complete suit of infant's wearing apparel
appeared, which had evidently been made at home,
and the loving care with which they had been pre-
pared was evinced by the dainty needlework, and fine
materials used.

With a strange thrill of emotion, the young girl
looked over these tiny memorials of a young mother's
care and tenderness, and warm tears sprang to her
eyes. A whole history of maternal hope, joy, and final
anguish, arose before her fancy. As she rolled them
together again, a strange electric shiver ran through
her frame, thrilling every fibre of her being, and
arousing that latent prescience which was the gift of
her impressible organization. In spite of her efforts
to keep them open, her eye-lids drooped, and she
beheld, as in a vision, two women kneeling beside the
couch of a sleeping infant. Both were weeping, and
one was clad in deep mourning. Their hands were
clasped together, but suddenly the one who seemed in
the greatest distress drew the hand of her companion
over the heart of the child, and seemed to be exacting
a promise. With many tears and caresses, she lifted
the slumpering babe, and, placing it in the arms of
her companion then buried her own face in the pillow
on which the dear head had lately rested, her whole
framJ seemed convulsed with anguish.
The voice of Eady aroused Adrienne from her
momentary trance, and her wandering senses returned
to find the bundle plucked from her grasp, and the
old woman in a great fright, exclaiming:
"I 'clar to Moses! young mistis, I hope you aint
subject to fits, for I thought you was a fallin' inter
one over these here old yaller duds. What makesyou
look so white? Do the musk I put 'mong 'en •znake
you sick ?"
"Perhaps it was that which so singularly affected
me," she replied, anxious to find some natural cause
for the sudden glimpse of an inner power hitherto un-
suspected by herself. Adrienne had often been told
of persons possessed by evil spirits, and she had given
implicit credence to the tales whose truth had been
vouched for by those in whose truth and piety she
possessed entire confidence. With sudden fear, she
asked herself if she had become one of those accursed
ones, by forsaking the holy home in which she had
been carefully reared? The mere thought filled her
with superstitious dread, and she felt a sense of relief
when Eady closed the cabinet, and said:
"I spec' you is tired now, an' would like to res' a
bit. Do room is damp an' cool, an' I'll send my 010
man wi' a armful o' wood to make you up a fire.
"Thank you; but it is a long time till night, and I
had rather go with you to your part of the house.*
The old woman looked keenly at her.

"I hope you aint afraid to stay upstairs in broad
daylight, chile, caze ef you is de Lor' only knows
what is to become o' you in de long, dark nights."
"I am not afraid—l am only restless, and I have
a natural desire to explore the house in which I am
to live in future."

"I'm sorry for you, honey, of you has to stay
here long. It's bad 'nuff for Pierre an' me, widout
sich as you comin' to dis mouldy ole place. We
Vlongs to de marster, an' mus' do his will, but sich a
bloomin'young cretur' as you ought to have somebody
what is willin' to take you out o' dis, and make you
happy in yer own way."
A fa'nt smile crept to Adrienne's lips as the soothing
thought came that there was one who would leave no
means untried to save her from a prolonged residence
beneath that banned roof. She did not choose to take
Eady into her confidence, and merely saying:
"I must content myself here for the present,' she
motioned to the old woman to precede her down the
dark and unknown staircase. It proved to be suffi-
ciently wide and easy of descent, and the spring,
which held the panel below, at once obeyed the touch
that had been so long familiar with it. At the re-
quest of Eady, the young girl tried it herself and
found that she could manage it.
A statue of Proserpine was placed in front of the
opening, and, slightly stooping, Adrienne stepped into
the lower apartment.

Glad to have found a listener, the garrulous old
woman chattered On:

" Dere's bin gran' doin's in this house, but it were
afore my time; I's only hearn tell on 'em, for I were
brung here only jes afore de madame went from
among us. Oh, dat were a sad day for us all! But
what is the matter of you? I 'clar to Moses, you'm
gwine off agin in a dead faint."
As Adrienne crossed the dark stain upon the floor
that sharp thrill again pierced her being, and she
shrank aside, faint and pale, with a sickening dread,
she had no power to conquer. She pointed to the
floor, and whispered:
"What is it? What caused that spot?"
The negress turned of an ashen hue, and she visibly
trembled, though she affected to laugh, as she
replied:
" Hi ! you makin' all dis pother 'bout a cup o' spilled
coffee dat I forgot to wash off de floor. You musn't
be fanciful, young mistis, or you'll go wild in dig queer
°le place."
"I believe lam half wild now. Let us go out of
this room, there is a feeling of death in it. I seem to
behold a struggle—a blow—and, oh! there is blood—
blood upon the blade!"
The old woman looked wildly upon the fixed, pallid
features, and heavy drooping eyelids, and seizing her
hand, dragged her from the spot. _
With a shudder the illusion passed away, and
Adrienne, obeying the impulse of the negress's hand,
followed her from the room. Eady gazed at her with
a terrified expression. What manner of person was
this ? _

_
Dad this girl been sent hither to bring retribution
on the old tyrant, who lived in his tower as a tiger in
his den, for the crimes he had perpetrated?
Eady unlocked door after door, revealing sumptuous
furniture, now faded and musty with disuse; but the
absence of dust showed that the old woman was not
unfaqhful to the trust reposed in her. Adrienne
walked through them as one in a vague dream, and
she scarcely beard the incessant chattering of the old
woman. She presently asked:
"Why did Madame Lecour give up these fine rooms,
and prefer the tower to live in r
!Cady shook her bea,'—
" She tuck a dislike to dose 'partments arter no
death o' her husbin an' father. She were a fanciful
kind o' lady, an', as she had plenty o' money, she did
a; she pleased. But in her day de great house wasn't
give n up to de vermin—she filled it with company,
an' B,ch junketin', frolickin', and dancin' never was
hearn tell of in dig country. De madame was a mighty
gay widder, I blieves."
"And how did she live after her union with M.
Lecour •:"
" Ah, chile, as soon as he came in pervasion, all (let
was put a stop to. I's been told he alters was a strange
man; but how he persuaded a gay young width'r like
de madame to marry him, nobody could understan' ;
de servants thought he bewitched her; you know,
honey, dat niggers is fools 'nulT to blieve in such
things. HowbomedeviT, let dat be as 'tw:ll she
m-rricd him, though all her frien's was scandalts-d
bout it, and de Mendon family threatened to prove
dat she couldn't be in her right mind. You see, the
estate was hern, to do as she pleased an' dey didn't
want her to marry agin."
"Hart they any particular objection to M. Le-
cour?"

" Well, I reelcin dey had, for he were a stranger in
dese parts, and too ole by twenty year for de madame.
But dry says, de oddest part of de whole matter was,
dat de madame seemed unhappy in de thought o'
inarryia' him, yet she 'fended all her frien's by dJin'
so,''

"It is, indeed, a singular history • and they were
note jaappppyy goeht.hie,ro,Linl. adforna! d;"
6 such a thing wi'
her carriage. an' put de sews
when
nduep plough;'fended
holisetahiPte"' she ever thought
thought
de house, sold
ever 3, body she cared for, an,
his mercy, he 'muted hisself in one toBma.3;rwcyaezrieei
her live in de other. She bore it, you see, an'sl'hinfetildthide
braved the anger o' all her frien's to
she had a sperrit o' her own, dat made her wl Tina' and
bear the consequins widout axin for help. De marstter
o
Ee it all de ole servants away, and bought my ole man
and me, wi' our dumb chile, what didn't live very long
art erwards."
"And were you with Madame Lecour when she
died ?" asked Adrienne.
A singular expression flitted over the face of the old
woman, and she replied:
6` ay—sartinly—sartinly—l were wi' her, for I
loved her —'deed I did, for she were a sweet lady, an'
what seems singler to me, you looks mightily like
her."
"So M. Mendcn thought," said Adrienne, musingly.
"Yet lamin no way ralated to her. But why are
yeti turning from this door? Let us enter this room,
if you please."
" It ain't no tise, for dey's only lumber rooms, an'
you'd only git your black dress ailed wi' de dust.
Dere's nothin' in that but a passel o' ole trash dat aint
werf look in' at."

Adrienne looked steadily at her, She said:
"Access is gained to the highest floor through this
door. 1 believe."

"Yes, dat am a fac'. But dey's only lumber rooms
up dere."

"Something tells me that you are deceiving me, for
purpcses of your own; but I will not insist on seeing
those rooms at present. The time will come when I
shall enter them with M. Lecour's consent,".

The old woman's voice trembled as she asked—

"IS you possessed, young mistis, dat you talk in dis
circumambular style? I b'lieve I'll cross myself to
banish the Evil One from us bole."

Adrienne faintly smiled; but she too made the
sign of the cross in the air, and turned away without
further reference to the unopened rooms. She was
glad to follow Eady into the open air, and sha'ie off
the gloomy oppression made by the solitude and deso-
lation amid which she had been wandering.
Eady opened the outer door, which led into a vege-
table garden kept in order by the labour of Pierre.
Her own domicile fronted this, and near it bloomed a
few hardy flowers of such gaudy hues as are most
prized by the race to which she belonged. A poultry
yard was in the rear of the cabin, swarming with
chickens, turkeys, and geese. These Eady displayed
with great pride, commenting upon their different
characteristics with much shrewdness.

.‘ Do you not find this life very dreary ?" asked
Adrienne.

"You may well say dat, honey; but I has Pierre to
fuFs arter, an' de marster to look to, 'sides the chickens
an' things to feed. But what'll you do in dis ole den
arter you gets settled down, for you won't have a
yethly thing to 'muse you."
"Oh, I shall find something to do. I will read, and
if I could get a musical instrument I would keep up
my practice. I shall make the effort, at any rate. I
trust that I may yet be able to bring back some en-
joyment to the lonely heart of my poor old grandfather.
He has been too long in solitude. I came hither to
be his good angel, and I must accomplish my mission.
It may be long before I can establish an influence
over him, but I trust that I shall eventually succeed
in rendering myself useful to him."
Eady shook her head omimously.
" Ah, chile, you is young an' hopeful. You doesn't
know as much as I knows, or you wouldn't spec much
from heabenly ministrations to Bich a ole sinner as my
marster. But I aint gwine to put de good 'tention
out o' yer mine. Jes do de boa' you can, and' dat is
all &es 'quired o' yethly creeters.'
Adrienne smilingly assented to this wise conclusion,
and the old chatterbox went on—

.' I's done shewed you everything now, young
mistis, an' I aint got no more time to waste in talkin'.
Mebbe you'd better go up to yer own room, an' kinder
get usen to its looks afore night comes on. It makes
IRMO people narvyus to sleep in a strange place, and
young gals is apt to take notions."

(To be continued.)