The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-10-29
VOL. XI


| tains of the bed wei quite drawn back on the
side next the wind ~, and something dimly
| glttered when the 1 { hs fell on the carpet, like
an instrument or orisment Of steel.
Charles impalien{ls locked ct all, while the
man worked away ct the window bars; and
when they yielded al last. he sprang in. There
| was little more 10 b.. harmed with regard to al
these objects than chat he had already made
out. Only the clotf es or the bed were thrown
over the pillow, just It's "a hasty strong hand
might replace them .fter They had been opened.
Charles Graburn flung chem back as far as
they would go. Tn, inside of the bed was FIJI !.
ed with huge darI something, plainly 1t had
been a pool Of blcof.
Charles and the workman looked at each
other in mute horrca The latter was the FIRST
to speak. =.
| "There's been fcli work here, doubt, sir, ;"
| said he. "Best coisef it up, and say nothing ;"
Cover it upi Nos To- cried Charles; "rll
search it out to thavs end. Who remembers
the tower?"
"If ANYBODY does, It's Mira. Many" said .he'
workman; "she that was housekeeper bef3re
the master"
"WhatI and ally We 4tiIf? Where is shef'
"At the house N the forest, cir, whefH Y
heard your honor went to tell her OF the mas
ter's legacy"
81 remember, 1 remember; abe was very
ILL.,"
"She'l never be 90 better, I'm of opiniof to
think. She's bound to die; she's ninety if 81 e's
a day."
an see her this minute" cried Charles re-
solving within hims aF that nobody should tarI
ry her the news OF the discovery before he
could Judge of its effect upon her; and hae,ily
descending the laddes he told the servants ,nd
laborers below that 'atAad found strange thi, gs,
which were not to = meddled with till he
came back, and ra, sf at the speed of a ycsng
man to the cottage. e
1t was a very neat dwelling, q little way With
} in the woodland district called the Forest Of
J Byer part Of which belonged to the Harkstone
estate as leasehold under the Crown. The
ancient woman had survived the master whom,
old as she was, she had locked on as young
, man, and might we'll do so, for she was bed
ridden; and he, up to the close of his life, had
J been able to walk as far as her dwelling. She
was attended by a woman, who, although nsar-
ly sixty, the older woman persisted in cal lug
the girl. The girl was sad specimen of the
t fair sex, not above three parts in possessio OF
her wits brown, almost black, of complex ION,
part of the darkness of her hue consistirl in
:. dirt; her few ragged locks hung loose about
e her bare head her large underlip droopea on
her chin, and her swollen nose matched the lip
= in its proportions. The clothes she wore we're
bound round her more ike rags than -woman's
clothes, though they were not bad in them
g selves and che seemed in hurry to do every
Il Office that any one asked or wanted, as il she
s felt herself born to be everyb ody's slave. This
old girl, whom the older woman called Phzlis,
came out hastily at Charles'a call and With
out seeming to understand that he wanted her
: to inquire whether her mistress could see rim,
n guided him straight into the chamber Were
Mrs. Many lay half alive, as it should seeri, in
a her bed.
Charles felt he must not be too abrupt. He
d therefore began to say something about the
o legacy; but the old woman, when she uAder-
J. stood who it was, began:
You were here on Wednesday about Shat
; it's all right. Do you want anything else. sir I
Indeed have something else to ask sou
The castle is a strange old place, and l wan
to know wh/ther there are any hiding pieces
!, any private rooms or passages, about it?s
i "None at all, as know of" said Mrs. Many
n "Everybody's dead and gone now that uoult
have been hidden in them, or care about taem
" except you" said Charles.
/. "Bat there's none at all" said the ole wo
h man.
J. eyes, there is one,' said Charles, resolving
d to try the truth upon her-for he saw she eithe
8 knew of none, or would not allow it if she did
e " and there's been murder done In it."
n The old woman answered nothing, but ike,
e her CLASSY eyes upon him be 6xedy ret, rnet
If the glance, and hers gave way the FIRST.
l. "What have you SEEM" said she.
d He told her exactly.
y ~ saw it, too" said ehe," fifty.fve year, age
e but never spoke of it till now. | believe he
IS dead that did it."
k "You believe only? You are not sure -
10 1t was not the master, if that's wha yo
l. mean," said the old woman. at wa hi
W sorrow; but it was another mans SIM"
1t "And you-and you," said Charles, in gres
e emotion.
n "No, sir. had nothing to do with it, .cep
g being the first to see it. My minds as et ~ q
e the poor girls there"
is ~ coniure you," said Charles, Ste m
10 what you know"
is "Well, you do know already, sir. VIA
K more ? Master Walter hid yonder girls othe
re in the tower, and there she persisted"
H. "Master Walter? Whom do you meant An
ID that wretched woman, her mother; what is
lie you meant"
" 81 mean the master that's just dead. iva
ID in the time of the old squire, his father VIII
DR. l was housekeeper to; and Master ' alte
}; was man and boy about the house, and yer
D. well beloved. / was thirty.two when h wa
twenty; he went away to amuse himself gone
sr where or other among. the furreners."
at "And then, what then?" said Charl 8, a
'e she paused in her story.
Z "Why then, it was a year and a half afte
SC that a man came to me as could speak nc Ems
10 lish like Us, and could do nothing but mak
"A signs. He gave me a letter from Msstes Wa
20 ter, which said that be had become acqu inte
A with young lady, who was mother by hi, !, an
10 he had sent his little infant to my care, tier
it is, the girl there and the brother f tn
4. child's mother, the letter went on to sa I, ha
of become aware and was lodging them Jvery
m where for vengeance. His father mul1 nc
he know, and he must hide the mother. N jw, i
a those days, the tower you've found OF wa
II. merely negected-it's been forgotten ipce
10 but he babe me ready it for the young lad,
no and open door long locked outside the astl(
as at the foot of the winding stair, and the nigh
d after he and she would be there. I'd 10 me B
say no, if | willed it, and did not will ;; fo
or l loved Walter, and the old squire wa yer
harsh upon him. So took the parcel suit
id the strange mans hand, and, looking in, 'tws
he indeed a young infant; and fret, in a gres
1T fright, ran down Aome to where my b, shan
a was sick, and showed him the letter, a, 4 toll
him all and he bs.de me lay down the bah,
=. and we'd tell tie seighbors twas no b, sines
;. of theirs. The F7or child was we'll nigh arve
"a with cold and Einger, and / doubt if yer
~ got over that je.frey, let it come from wher
"a It might; but, fI my part, thought ore {
-, the lady and MISTER Walter, and did Is we
~ as could for tx I'm in the tower"
he he "The lady sc.ually lived there ~ sal
he Charles, fndingHhe old woman pause.
ak Eyes, yes, ID nobody knew-we t,ougi
nd nobody knew. 3nt it's always been M opil
ng ion that some o:e or other saw me go oSt or