THE RESURRECTION MAN'S LAST FEAT AT
RAVENSWORTH HALL.
"Holy God protect me!" shrieked Adeline, staggering to a sofa, on which
she fell.
But her senses did not leave her: a profound conviction of the terrible
position in which she was again placed, suddenly nerved her with a
courage and a strength that astonished even herself; and, starting from
the sofa, she confronted the Resurrection Man, saying, "What do you
here?"
"That's my business," answered Tidkins, gruffly. "You see that I am
here:—here I have been for a long time—and here I shall remain as much
longer as it suits my purpose. That is," he added, with a significant
leer, "unless you make it worth my while to take myself off."
"Detestable extortioner!" ejaculated Adeline: "am I never to know peace
again?"
"Well—now that's _your_ business, my lady," replied the Resurrection
Man. "The fact is, I find this place so much to my liking, and it
answers my views as well as my safety so well, that I am in no hurry to
quit it. You may look as black as you please: but you ought to know by
this time that Tony Tidkins is not the man to be frightened by a lady's
frown."
"The law will protect me," said Adeline, now labouring under the most
painful excitement.
"Yes—and punish you too," added the Resurrection Man, coolly.
"Now listen to me," continued Lady Ravensworth, speaking with hysterical
volubility: "human forbearance has limits—human patience has bounds. My
forbearance is exhausted—my patience is worn out. Sooner than submit to
your persecutions—sooner than be at the mercy of your extortions,—I will
seek redress at the hands of justice—aye, even though I draw down its
vengeance upon my own head at the same time!"
And she flew towards the bell-pull.
But the Resurrection Man caught her ere her hand could reach the rope;
and dragging her back, he pushed her brutally upon the sofa. Then,
drawing a pistol from his pocket, he said in a terribly ominous tone,
"If you attempt that dodge again, I'll shoot you through the head as
sure as you're now a living woman."
Adeline contemplated him with eyes expressive of the wildest alarm.
"You see that it's no use to play tricks with me, young lady," continued
the Resurrection Man, as he replaced the pistol in his pocket.
"What is it that you require?" asked Adeline, in a faint and
supplicating tone: "what can I do to induce you to depart and never
molest me more? Oh! have mercy upon me, I implore you—have mercy upon
me! I have no friends to protect me: I am widowed and childless. My poor
boy has been snatched from me—my sole earthly solace is gone! But why do
you persecute me thus? Have I ever injured you? If you hate me—if you
look upon me as an enemy, kill me outright:—do not—do not take my life
by inches. Your presence is slow torture!"
"Will you listen to reason?" demanded Tidkins: "can you speak calmly for
a few minutes?"
"I will—I can," returned Adeline, shuddering dreadfully as the
Resurrection Man drew nearer to her.
"Well, then—if you keep your word, our business will soon be brought to
an end," he said, planting himself coolly in a chair opposite to her.
"You must know that I've been living in this house almost ever since you
left it."
"Living here!" cried Adeline, indignation mastering a considerable
portion of her terror.
"Yes—living here as snug as a bug in a rug," returned Tidkins, chuckling
as if he considered the fact to be an excellent joke. "The truth is I
had certain reasons of my own for being either in or near London: and I
looked about for a safe place. Happening to pass this way a few weeks
after that business about Vernon, you know——"
"Proceed—proceed!" said Adeline, impatiently.
"I'm in no hurry," replied Tidkins.
"But my servant may come—Quentin will be here shortly—I expect him every
minute——"
"He won't hurt me, my lady," said Tidkins, calmly. "If he attempted to
lay a hand on me, I'd shoot him on the spot. However, I will go on
quicker—since you wish it. Well, as I was saying, I passed by this way
and saw the house all shut up. Inquiries at the village down yonder let
me know that you was gone, and that there was no one but an old man and
his wife about the premises. Nothing could suit me better: I resolved to
take up my quarters here directly;—and I pitched upon the very room
where Vernon threw himself out of the window. One day I heard the two
old people talking in the next apartment, which they were dusting out;
and I found, by their discourse, that they believed in ghosts. That was
a glorious discovery for me: I soon saw that certain little devices
which I practised made them think that Vernon's spirit haunted the
place—and so I boldly opened the shutters and made myself comfortable,
when I took it into my head. They weren't at the house, it seems, when I
was staying here two years ago; and so they didn't know who I really
was. Thus, when they saw me standing in the balcony—which I often did
just to amuse myself by frightening them a little—they firmly believed
it was Gilbert Vernon's spirit that haunted the place. Lord! how I have
laughed sometimes at the poor old souls!"
"It is you, then," cried Adeline, a sudden idea striking her, "who have
been plundering the Hall during my absence?"
"Well—you may call it by that name, if you like," said Tidkins, with the
most provoking calmness. "I don't hesitate to admit that I have now and
then walked off with a small picture—or a time-piece—or a mantel
ornament—or what not—just to raise supplies for the time being. But you
ought to be very much obliged to me that I've left any thing at all in
the whole place. Such forbearance isn't quite in keeping with my usual
disposition."
"Villain! this to me—and said so coolly!" cried Lady Ravensworth, again
starting from her seat.
"Pray keep where you are, ma'am," observed Tidkins, pushing her back
again upon the sofa; "you promised to listen to reason."
"Reason!" exclaimed Adeline: "and do you call it reason when I am
compelled to hear the narrative of your villanies—the history of your
depredations on my property?"
"You knew what I was when you sought my acquaintance," said the
Resurrection Man; "and after all, I've only just been taking the little
liberties which one friend may use with another."
"Friend!" repeated Adeline, in a tone expressive of deep disgust, as she
retreated as far back upon the sofa as possible.
"Come—we're only wasting time by all this disputing," said the
Resurrection Man. "The whole thing lies in a nut-shell. You've come home
again—and you want to enjoy undisputed possession of your own house.
Well—that is reasonable enough. But, by so doing, you turn me out of
doors; and I don't exactly know where I shall find a crib so safe and
convenient as this. I must have an indemnity, then: and that is also
reasonable on my part."
"Until you told me that you had robbed the house," exclaimed Adeline, in
a tone of almost ungovernable indignation,—such as she had not
experienced for a long, long time,—"I was prepared to purchase your
departure with a sum of money: but now,—now that I have the most
convincing proofs of your utter profligacy—even if such proofs were
wanting,—now that I see the folly of reposing the slightest trust in one
who studies nothing save his own wants and interests,—I will think of a
compromise no longer."
"You will repent your obstinacy," said Tidkins. "Remember how you have
dared me on a former occasion, and how I reduced you to submission."
"True!" ejaculated Adeline, in a calmer and more collected tone than she
had yet assumed during this painful interview: "but at that time I was
crushed by the weight of difficulties—overwhelmed with embarrassments
and perils of the most formidable nature. I would then have committed
any new crime to screen the former ones: I would have effected any
compromise in order to avert danger. But now—what is there to bind me to
existence? Nothing—unless it be the enjoyment of seclusion and
tranquillity. These are menaced by your persecutions: and I will put an
end to this intolerable tyranny—or perish in the attempt. That is my
decision. Let us be at open war, if you will: and 'tis thus I commence
hostilities!"
Rapid as thought, she darted towards the bell-rope: but Tidkins, who had
divined her intention, intercepted her as before.
Placing his iron hand on the nape of her neck, he thrust her violently
back upon the sofa: then, ere he withdrew his hold, he said in a low,
hoarse, and ferocious tone, "This is the last time I will be trifled
with. By Satan! young woman, I'll strangle you, if this game
continues—just as I strangled your Lydia Hutchinson!"
And pushing her with contemptuous rudeness from him, he released her
from his grasp.
For a few moments Adeline's breath came with so much difficulty, and her
bosom heaved so convulsively, that the Resurrection Man feared he had
gone too far, and had done her some grievous injury: but when he saw her
recover from the semi-strangulation and the dreadful alarm which she had
experienced in consequence of his treatment, his eyes glistened with
ferocious satisfaction.
"Let us make a long business short," he said, in a coarse and imperious
tone. "If I told you just now that I had helped myself to a few of the
things in this house, it was only to convince you that I am not likely
to stick at trifles in respect to you or yours. You have money—and I
want some. Give me my price—and you shall never see me again."
"No—you may murder me if you will," cried Adeline, hysterically: "but I
will not submit to your tyranny any more. Oh! you are a terrible man—and
I would sooner die than live in the constant terror of your
persecution!"
"Foolish woman, give up this screeching—or, by hell! I'll settle you,
and then help myself to all I want," cried Tidkins, ferociously.
And at the same moment Adeline, whose face was buried in her hands, felt
his iron grasp again upon the nape of her neck.
She started up with a half-stifled scream, and endeavoured to reach the
bell-rope a third time. But once more was she anticipated in her design;
and the Resurrection Man now held her firmly round the waist by his left
arm.
Then drawing forth the pistol with his right hand, he placed the muzzle
against Adeline's marble forehead.
"I must put an end to this nonsense at once," he said, in a ferocious
tone. "There is something now in the house, proud and obstinate woman as
you are—that will make you fall on your knees and beseech me to remove
it from your sight. But we will try that test: and remember, this pistol
that touches your forehead is loaded. Attempt to raise an alarm—and I
blow your brains out."
"Release me—let me go—I implore you!" murmured Adeline, who experienced
greater loathing at that contiguity with the Resurrection Man, than fear
at the weapon which menaced her with instantaneous death.
"No—you shall come," returned Tidkins, brutally: "I am sick of this
reasoning, and must bring you to the point at once."
"Let me go—and I swear to follow whither you may choose to lead," said
Adeline.
"Well—now I release you on that condition," was the reply: and the
horrible man withdrew his arm and the pistol simultaneously.
But still keeping the weapon levelled at the wretched lady, and taking a
candle in his left hand, he made a sign for her to accompany him.
She was now reduced to that state of physical nervousness and mental
bewilderment, that she obeyed mechanically, without attempting to
remonstrate—without even remembering to ask whither they were going.
They left the room, and proceeded along the passage towards the southern
extremity of the building,—Adeline walking on one side of the corridor,
and Tidkins on the other—the latter still keeping the pistol levelled to
over-awe the miserable woman.
But she saw it not: she went on, because she mechanically obeyed one in
whose power she felt herself to be, and whose loathsome contiguity she
trembled to dare again.
At length they stopped at a door: and then Adeline's memory seemed to
recover all its powers—her ideas instantly appeared to concentrate
themselves in one focus.
"Oh! no—not here! not here!" she said, with a cold shudder, as she
suddenly awoke as it were from a confused dream, and recognised the door
of her boudoir—_the_ boudoir!
"Then give me a thousand pounds—and I will leave the house this minute,"
returned Tidkins.
"No—you shall kill me first!" ejaculated Adeline, again recovering
courage and strength, as if by instinct she knew herself to be standing
upon some fearful precipice. "I will resist you to the death: you have
driven me to desperation!"
And, springing towards the Resurrection Man, she made a snatch at the
pistol which he held in his hand.
But, eluding her attack, he thrust the weapon into his pocket: then,
clasping her with iron vigour in his right arm, and still retaining the
light in his left hand, he burst open the door of the boudoir with his
foot.
Adeline uttered a faint scream, as he dragged her into the room, the
door of which he closed violently behind him.
Then, holding the light in such a manner that its beams fell upon the
floor, and withdrawing his arm from Adeline's waist, he exclaimed in a
tone of ferocious triumph, "Behold the remains of the murdered Lydia
Hutchinson!"
Lady Ravensworth threw one horrified glance upon the putrid corpse; and
uttering a terrific scream expressive of the most intense agony, she
fell flat upon the floor—her face touching the feet of the dead body.
Tidkins raised her: but the blood gushed out of her mouth.
"Perdition! I have gone too far," cried the Resurrection Man. "She is
dead—and I have done as good as cut my own throat!"
It was indeed true: Adeline had burst a blood-vessel, and died upon the
spot.
Tidkins let her fall heavily upon the floor, and throwing down the
candle, fled from the mansion, reckless whether the light were
extinguished or not.
* * * * *
Half an hour afterwards Quentin was on his return to the Hall, in a
hackney-coach containing, besides the baggage which he had cleared at
the Custom-House, several hampers filled with the purchases he had been
making in the City.
As he was thus proceeding through the park, he suddenly observed a
strong and flickering light appearing through the windows at the
southern extremity of the building; and in a few moments the whole of
that part of the Hall was enveloped in flames.
Leaping from the coach, which, being heavily laden, dragged slowly
along, the valet rushed to the mansion, where the presence of the fire
had already alarmed the gardener and his wife, and the French servant.
But of what avail were their poor exertions against the fury of the
devouring element?
A search was immediately instituted for Lady Ravensworth: but she was
not to be found in either of the drawing-rooms. Nor was she in any of
the chambers in the northern part of the building; and it was impossible
to enter the southern wing, which seemed to be one vast body of flame.
The domestics, finding their search to be useless, were compelled to
form the dreadful conclusion that their mistress had perished in the
conflagration.
For six hours did the fire rage with appalling fury; and though the
inhabitants of the adjacent village and the immediate neighbourhood
flocked to the scene of desolation and rendered all the assistance in
their power, the splendid mansion was reduced to a heap of ruins.