"Have you any idea," said I, at last, "whether there"s any story connected with that place where I slept last night? I only ask,"
added I, with a feeble grin, like the ghost of a smile that had been able-bodied once, "because I"m fond of hearing stories, and because, as you know, there generally is a legend, or something of that sort, related about old family mansions."
"Well, sir," answered the old man slowly, "I never heard nothin"; but then, you see, I never asked no questions. We came here eight years agone, and then no one round remembered a tenant at the big house. It"s been empty somewhere nigh twenty years, I should say,-- to my own knowledge more than ten,--and what"s more, n.o.body knows exactly who it belongs to: and there"s been lawsuits about it and all manner o" things, but nothin" ever came of them."
"Did no one ever tell you anything about its history," I asked, "or were you never asked any questions about it until now?"
"Not particularly as I remember," replied he musingly.
Then, after a moment"s pause, he added more briskly, "Ay, ay, though, now I come to think of it, there was a man up here more"n five months back, a Frenchman, who came on purpose to see it and ask me one or two questions, but I on"y jest told him nothin" as I"ve told you.
He was a popish priest, and seemed to take a sight of interest in the place somehow. I think if you want to know about it, sir, you"d better go and see him; he"s staying down here in the village, about a mile and a half off, at the Crown Inn."
"And a queer old fellow he is," broke in my host"s wife, who was clearing away the breakfast; "no one knows where he comes from, "cept as he"s a Frenchman. I see him about often, prowlin" along with his stick and his snuff-box, always alone, and sometimes he nods at me and says "good-morning" as I go by."
In consequence of this information I resolved to make my way immediately to the old priest"s dwelling, and having acquainted myself with the direction in which the house lay, I took leave of my host, shouldered my bag once more, and set out en route. The air was clear and sharp, and the crisp snow crackled pleasantly under my Hessian boots as I strode along the country lanes. All traces of cloud had totally disappeared from the sky, the sun looked cheerfully down on me, and my morning"s walk thoroughly refreshed and invigorated me. In due time I arrived at the inn which had been named to me as the abode of the Rev. M. Pierre,--a pretty homely little nest, with an antique gable and portico. Addressing myself to the elderly woman who answered my summons at the housedoor, I inquired if I could see M. Pierre, and, in reply, received a civil invitation to "step inside and wait." My suspense did not last long, for M. Pierre made his appearance very promptly. He was a tall, thin individual with a fried-looking complexion, keen sunken eyes, and spa.r.s.e hair streaked with grey. He entered the room with a courteous bow and inquiring look. Rising from the chair in which I had rested myself by the fire, I advanced towards him and addressed him by name in my suavest tones. He inclined his head and looked at me more inquiringly than before." I have taken the liberty to request an interview with you this morning,"
continued I, "because I have been told that you may probably be able to give me some information of which I am in search, with regard to an old mansion in this part of the county, called "Steepside," and in which I spent last night."
Scarcely had I uttered these last words when the expression of the old priest"s face changed from one of courteous indifference to earnest interest:
"Do I understand you rightly, monsieur?" he said. "You say you slept last night in Steepside mansion?"
"I did not say I slept there," I rejoined, with an emphasis; "I said I pa.s.sed the night there."
"Bien," said he dryly, "I comprehend. And you were not pleased with your night"s lodging. That is so, is it not, monsieur,--is it not?" he repeated, eying my face curiously, as though he were seeking to read the expression of my thoughts there.
"You may be sure," said I, "that if something very peculiar had not occurred to me in that house, I should not thus have troubled a gentleman to whom I am, unhappily, a stranger."
He bowed slightly and then stood silent, contemplating me, and, as I think, considering whether or not he should afford me the information I desired. Presently, his scrutiny having apparently proved satisfactory, he withdrew his eyes from my face, and seated himself beside me.
"Monsieur," said he, "before I begin to answer your inquiry, I will ask you to tell me what you saw last night at Steepside."
He drew from his pocket a small, old-fashioned snuff-box and refreshed his little yellow nose with a pinch of rappee, after which ceremonial he leaned back at his ease, resting his chin in his hand and regarding me fixedly during the whole of my strange recital. When I had finished speaking he sat silent a few minutes, and then resumed, in his queer broken manner:
"What I am going to tell you I would not tell to any man who had not done what you have done, and seen what you saw last night.
Mon Dieu! it is strange you should have been at that house last night of all nights in the year,--the 22nd of December!"
He seemed to make this reflection rather to himself than to me, and presently continued, taking a small key from a pocket in his vest as he spoke:
"Do you understand French well, monsieur?"
"Excellently well," returned I with alacrity; "a great part of my business correspondence is conducted in French, and I speak and hear it every day of my life."
He smiled pleasantly in reply, rose from his seat, and, unlocking with the key he held a small drawer in a chest that stood beside the chimney-piece, took out of it a roll of ma.n.u.script and a cigar.
"Monsieur," said he, offering me the latter, "let me recommend this, if you care to smoke so early in the day. I always prefer rappee, but you, doubtless, have younger tastes."
Having thus provided for my comfort, the old priest reseated himself, unfolded the ma.n.u.script, and, without further apology, read the following story in the French language:
Towards the latter part of the last century Steepside became the property of a certain Sir Julian Lorrington. His family consisted only of his wife, Lady Sarah, and their daughter Julia, a girl remarkable alike for her beauty and her expectations.
For a long time Sir Julian had retained in his establishment an old French maitre d"hotel and his wife, who both died in the baronet"s service, leaving one child, Virginie, whom Lady Sarah, out of regard for the fidelity of her parents, engaged to educate and protect.
In due time this orphan, brought up in the household of Sir Julian, became the chosen companion of his heiress; and when the family took up their residence at Steepside, Virginie Giraud, who had been a.s.sociated in Julia"s studies and recreations from early childhood, was installed there as maid and confidant to the hope of the house.
Not long after the settlement at Steepside, Sir Julian, in the summary fashion of those days with regard to matrimonial affairs, announced his intention of bestowing his daughter upon a certain Welsh squire of old ancestry and broad acres. Sir Julian was a practical man, thoroughly incapable of regarding wedlock in any other light than as a mere union of wealth and property, the owners of which joined hands and lived together. This was the way in which he had married, and it was the way in which he intended his daughter to marry; love and pa.s.sion were meaningless, if not vulgar words in his ears, and he conceived it impossible they should be otherwise to his only child. As for Lady Sarah, she was an unsympathetic creature, whose thoughts ran only on the ambition of seeing Julia married to some gentleman of high position, and heading a fine establishment with social success and distinction.
So it was not until all things relative to the contract had been duly arranged between these amiable parents and their intended son- in-law, that the bride elect was informed of the fortune in store for her.
But all the time that the lawyers had been preparing the marriage settlements, a young penniless gentleman named Philip Brian had been finding out for himself the way to Julia"s heart, and these two had pledged their faith to each other only a few days before Sir Julian and Lady Lorrington formally announced their plans to their daughter. In consequence of her engagement with Philip, Julia received their intelligence with indignation, and protested that no power on earth should force her to act falsely to the young man whose promised wife she had become. The expression of this determination was received by both parents with high displeasure.
Sir Julian indulged in a few angry oaths, and Lady Sarah in a little select satire; Philip Brian was, of course, forbidden the house, all letters and messages between the lovers were interdicted, and Julia was commanded to comport herself like a dutiful and obedient heiress.
Now Virginie Giraud was the friend as well as the attendant of Sir Julian"s daughter, and it was Virginie therefore who, after the occurrence of this outbreak, was despatched to Philip with a note of warning from his mistress. Naturally the lover returned an answer by the same means, and from that hour Virginie continued to act as agent between the two, carrying letters to and fro, giving counsel and arranging meetings. Meanwhile the bridal day was fixed by the parent Lorringtons, and elaborate preparations were made for a wedding festival which should be the wonderment and admiration of the county. The breakfast room was decorated with lavish splendour, the richest apparel bespoken for the bride, and all the wealthy and t.i.tled relatives of both contracting families were invited to the pageant. Nor were Philip and Julia idle. It was arranged between them that, at eleven o"clock on the night of the day preceding the intended wedding, the young man should present himself beneath Julia"s window, Virginie being on the watch and in readiness to accompany the flight of the lovers. All three, under cover of the darkness, should then steal down the avenue of the coach-drive and make their exit by the shrubbery gate, the key of which Virginie already had in keeping. The appointed evening came,--the 22nd of December. Snow lay deep upon the ground, and more threatened to fall before dawn, but Philip had engaged to provide horses equal to any emergency of weather, and the darkness of the night lent favor to the enterprise. Virginie"s behavior all that day had somehow seemed unaccountable to her mistress. The maid"s face was pallid and wore a strange expression of anxiety and apprehension.
She winced and trembled when Julia"s glance rested upon her, and her hands quivered violently while she helped the latter to adjust her hood and mantle as the hour of a.s.signation approached.
Endeavouring, however, to persuade herself that this strange conduct arose from a feeling of excitement or nervousness natural under the circ.u.mstances, Julia used a hundred kind words and tender gestures to rea.s.sure and support her companion. But the mote she consoled or admonished, the more agitated Virginie became, and matters stood in this condition when eleven o"clock arrived.
Julia waited at her chamber window, which was not above three feet from the ground without, her hood and mantle donned, listening eagerly for the sound of her lover"s voice; and the French girl leant behind her against the closed door, nervously tearing to fragments a piece of paper she had taken from her pocket a minute ago.
These torn atoms she flung upon the hearth, where a bright fire was blazing, not observing that, meanwhile, Julia had opened the window- cas.e.m.e.nt. A gust of wind darting into the room from outside caught up a fragment of the yet unconsumed paper and whirled it back from the flames to Julia"s feet. She glanced at it indifferently, but the sight of some characters on it suddenly attracting her, she stooped and picked it up.
It bore her name written over and over several times, first in rather labored imitation of her own handwriting, then more successfully, and, lastly, in so perfect a manner that even Julia herself was almost deceived into believing it her genuine signature. Then followed several L"s and J"s, as though the copyist had not considered those initials satisfactory counterparts of the original.
Julia wondered, but did not doubt; and as she tossed the fragment from her hand, Virginie turned and perceived the action. Instantly a deep flush of crimson overspread the maid"s face; she darted suddenly forward, and uttered an exclamation of alarm. Her cry was immediately succeeded by the sharp noise of a pistol report beneath the window, and a heavy, m.u.f.fled sound, as of the fall of a body upon the snow-covered earth. Julia looked out in fear and surprise. The leaping firelight from within the room streamed through the window, and, in the heart of its vivid brightness, revealed the figure of a man lying motionless upon the whitened ground, his face buried in the scattered snow, and his outstretched hand grasping a pistol. Julia leaped through the open cas.e.m.e.nt with a wild shriek, and flung herself on her knees beside him.
"Phil! Phil!" she said, "what have you done? what has happened?
Speak to me!"
But the only response was a faint, low moan.
Philip Brian had shot himself!
In an agony of grief and horror Julia lifted his head upon her arm, and pressed her hand to his heart. The movement recalled him to life for a few moments; he opened his eyes, looked at her, and uttered a few broken words. She stooped and listened eagerly.
"The letter!" he gasped; "the letter you sent me! O Julia, you have broken my heart! How could you be false to me, and I loving you--trusting you--so wholly! But at least I shall not live to see you wed the man you have chosen; I came here tonight to die, since without you life would be intolerable. See what you have done!"
Desperate and silent, she wound her arms around him, and pressed her lips to his. A convulsive shudder seized him; his eyes rolled back, and with a sigh he resigned himself to the death he had courted so madly. Death in the pa.s.sion of a last kiss!
Julia sat still, the corpse of her lover supported on her arm, and her hand clasped in his, tearless and frigid as though she had been turned into stone by some fearful spell. Half hidden in the bosom of his vest was a letter, the broken seal of which bore her own monogram. She plucked it out of its resting place, and read it hastily by the flicker of the firelight. It was in Lady Sarah"s handwriting, and ran thus:
"My Dear Mr Brian,--Although, when last we parted, it was with the usual understanding that tonight we should meet again; yet subsequent reflection, and the positive injunctions of my parents, have obliged me to decide otherwise. You are to know, therefore, that, in obedience to the wishes of my father and mother, I have promised to become the wife of the gentleman they have chosen for me. All correspondence between us must therefore wholly cease, nor must you longer suffer yourself to entertain a thought of me. It is hardly necessary to add that I shall not expect to see you this evening; your own sense of honor will, I am persuaded, be sufficient to restrain you from keeping an appointment against my wishes. In concluding, I beg you will not attempt to obtain any further explanation of my conduct; but rest a.s.sured that it is the unalterable resolve of cool and earnest deliberation. "For the last time I subscribe myself "JULIA LORRINGTON.
"Postscript.--In order to save you any doubt of my entire concurrence in my mother"s wishes, I sign and address this with my own hand, and Virginie, who undertakes to deliver it, will add her personal testimony to the truth of these statements, since she has witnessed the writing of the letter, and knows how fully my consent has been given to all its expressions."
"With my own hand!" Yes, surely; both signature and address were perfect facsimiles of Julia"s writing! What wonder that Philip had been deceived into believing her false? Twice she read the letter from beginning to end; then she laid her lover"s corpse gently down on the snow, and stood up erect and silent, her face more ghastly and deathlike than the face of the dead beside her.
In a moment the whole shameful scheme had flashed upon her mind; Virginie"s treachery and clever fraud; its connection with the torn fragment of paper which Julia had seen only a few minutes before; the deliberate falsehood of which Lady Sarah had been guilty; the bribery, by means of which she had probably corrupted Virginie"s fidelity; the cruel disappointment and suffering of her lover; all these things pressed themselves upon her reeling brain, and gave birth to the suggestions of madness.
Stooping down, she put her lithe hand upon the belt of the dead man.
There was, as she expected, a second pistol in it, the fellow of that with which he had shot himself. It was loaded. Julia drew it out, wrapped her mantle round it, and climbed noiselessly into her chamber through the still open window. Crossing the room, she pa.s.sed out into the corridor beyond, and went like a shadow, swift and silent of foot, to the door of her father"s study,--an apartment communicating, by means of an oaken door, with the panelled chamber.
Virginie, from a dark recess in the wall of the house, had heard and noted all that pa.s.sed in the garden. She saw Julia open and read the letter; she caught the expression of her face as she stooped for the pistol, and apprehending something of what might follow, she crept through the window after her mistress and pursued her up the dark pa.s.sages. Here, crouching again into a recess in the gallery outside the panelled room, she waited in terror for the next scene of the tragedy. Julia flung open the door of the study where her father sat writing at his table, and, standing on the threshold in the full glare of the lamplight which illumined the apartment, raised the pistol, c.o.c.ked and aimed it. Sir Julian had barely time to leap from his chair with a cry when she fired, and the next instant he fell, struck by the bullet on the left temple, and expired at his daughter"s feet. At the report of the pistol and the sound of his fall, Lady Sarah quitted her dressingroom and ran in disordered attire into the study, where she beheld her husband lying dead and b.l.o.o.d.y upon the floor, and Julia standing at the entrance of the panelled chamber, with the light of madness and murder in her eyes. Not long she stood there, however, for, seeing Lady Sarah enter, the distracted girl threw down the empty weapon, and flinging herself upon her mother, grasped her throat with all the might of her frenzied being. Up and down the room they wrestled together, two desperate women, one bent upon murder, the other battling for her life, and neither uttered cry or groan, so terribly earnest was the struggle. At length Lady Sarah"s strength gave way; she fell under her a.s.sailant"s weight, her face black with suffocation, and her eyes protruding from their swelling sockets. Julia redoubled her grip. She knelt upon Lady Sarah"s breast, and held her down with the force and resolution of a fiend, though the blood burst from the ears of her victim and filmed her staring eyes; nor did the pitiless fingers relax until the murderess knew her vengeance was complete. Then, she leapt to her feet, seized Philip"s pistol from the floor, and, with a wild, pealing shriek, fled forth along the gallery, down the staircase, and out into the park,--out into the wind, and the driving snow, and the cold, her uncoiled hair streaming in dishevelled ma.s.ses down her shoulders, and her dress of trailing satin daubed with stains of blood. Behind her ran Virginie, well-nigh maddened herself with horror, vainly endeavouring to catch or to stop the unhappy fugitive. But just as the latter reached the brink of a high precipice at the boundary of the terraced lawn, from which the mansion took its name of "Steepside," she turned to look at her pursuer, missed her footing, and fell headlong over the low stone coping that bordered the slope into the snowdrift at the bottom of the chasm.