CHAPTER XIII
_The African and his Mistress--the Haunted House--Night of Terror._
Nero, the African, still remained a prisoner in the vault beneathSydney's house. He was regularly supplied with his food by Dennis, whoperformed the part of jailer, and was untiring in his vigilance toprevent the escape of the negro under his charge.
One afternoon a boy of apparently fifteen or sixteen years of age calledupon Dennis and desired to speak with him in private. He was a handsomelad, of easy, graceful manners, and long, curling hair; his dress wasjuvenile, and his whole appearance extremely prepossessing.
The interview being granted, the boy made known the object of his callby earnestly desiring to be permitted to visit the imprisoned black.
'Is it the _nager_ ye want to see?' exclaimed Dennis--'and how the devildid ye know we had a nager shut up in the cellar, any how?'
'Oh,' replied the boy, 'a lady of my acquaintance is aware of the fact,and she sent me here to present you with this five dollar gold piece,and to ask your consent to my delivering a short message to the blackman.'
'Och, be the powers, and is that it?' muttered Dennis, half aloud, as hesurveyed the bright coin which the boy had placed in his hand--'I beginto smell a rat, faith; this gossoon was sent here by Mr. Sydney'sblackguard wife, who has such a hankering after the black divil--notcontented with her own lawful husband, and a decent man he is, but shemust take up wid that dirty nager, bad luck to her and him! My mastergave me no orders to prevint any person from seeing the black spalpeen;and as a goold yankee sovereign can't be picked up every day in thestreet, faith it's yerself Dennis Macarty, that will take theresponsibility, and let this good-looking gossoon in to see black Nero,and bad luck to him!'
Accordingly, the worthy Irishman produced a huge key from his pocket,and led the way to the door of the vault, which he opened, and havingadmitted the youth, relocked it, after requesting the visitor to knockloudly upon the door when he desired to come out.
'Who is there?' demanded the negro in a hollow voice, from a remotecorner of the dungeon.
'Tis I, your Julia!' answered the disguised woman, in a softwhisper--for it was no other than Sydney's guilty wife.
'My good, kind mistress!' exclaimed the black, and the next moment hehad caught the graceful form of his paramour in his arms. We shall notoffend the reader's good taste by describing the disgusting caresseswhich followed. Suffice it to say, that the interview was commenced insuch a manner as might have been expected under the circumstance.
The first emotions of rapture at their meeting having subsided, theyengaged in a long and earnest conversation.
We shall not weary the reader's patience by detailing at length whatpassed between them; suffice it to say, they did not separate until aplan had been arranged for the escape of Nero from that dungeon vault.
When Julia left the abode of her husband, in the manner described inChapter VIII, she took apartments for herself and her maid Susan at arespectable boarding house near the Battery. Representing herself to bea widow lady recently from Europe, she was treated with the utmostrespect by the inmates of the establishment, who little suspected thatshe was the cast-off wife of an injured husband, and the mistress of anegro! She assumed the name of Mrs. Belmont; and, to avoid confusion, weshall hereafter designate her by that appellation.
Mrs. Belmont was very well satisfied with her position, but she was wellaware that she could not always maintain it, unless she entrapped somewealthy man into an amour or marriage with her; for her pecuniaryresources, though temporarily sufficient for all her wants, could notlast always. In this view of the case, she deemed it expedient to hiresome suitable and genteel dwelling-house, where she could carry on heroperations with less restraint than in a boarding-house. She accordinglyadvertised for such a house; and the same day on which her advertisementappeared in the paper, an old gentleman called upon her, and stated hewas the proprietor of just such a tenement as she had expressed a desireto engage.
'This house, madam,' said the old gentleman, 'is a neat three-storybrick edifice, situated in Reade street. It is built in the mostsubstantial manner, and furnished with every convenience; moreover, youshall occupy it upon your own terms.'
'As to that,' remarked Mrs. Belmont, 'if the house suits me, you havebut to name the rent, and it shall be paid.'
'Why, madam,' replied the old gentleman, with some embarrassment ofmanner--'it is my duty to inform you that a silly prejudice exists inthe minds of some people in the neighborhood of the house, and thatprejudice renders it somewhat difficult for me to procure a tenant. Youwill smile at the absurdity of the notion, but nevertheless I assureyou that a belief generally prevails that the house is _haunted_.'
'Are there any grounds for each a supposition?' inquired the lady, withan incredulous smile, yet feeling an interest in the matter.
'Why,' replied the owner, 'all who have as yet occupied the house have,after remaining one to two nights in it, removed precipitately,declaring that the most dreadful noises were heard during the night,tho' none have positively affirmed that they actually _saw_ anysupernatural visitant. These tales of terror have so frightened peoplethat the building has been unoccupied for some time; and as it is a finehouse, and one that cost me a good sum of money, I am extremely anxiousto get a tenant of whom only a very moderate rent would be required. Thefact is, I am no believer in this _ghost_ business; the people who livedin the house were probably frightened by pranks of mischievous boys, orelse their nervous, excited imaginations conjured up fancies and fearswhich had no reasonable foundation. Now, madam, I have candidly told youall; it remains for you to decide whether you will conform to a foolishprejudice, or, rising above the superstitions of the vulgar andignorant, become the occupant of my _haunted_ house--which, in mybelief, is haunted by naught but mice in the cupboards and crickets inthe chimneys.'
Mrs. Belmont reflected for a few moments, and then said--
'If the house suits me upon examination, I will become your tenant,notwithstanding the ghostly reputation of the building.'
'I am delighted, my dear madam,' rejoined the old gentleman, withvivacity, 'to find in you a person superior to the absurd terrors ofweak-minded people. If you will do me the honor to accompany me to Readestreet, I will go over the house with you, and if you are pleased withit, the bargain shall be completed upon the spot.'
This proposal was acceded to by Mrs. Belmont, who, after putting on hercloak and bonnet, took the arm of the old gentleman and proceeded withhim up Broadway. A walk of little more than ten minutes brought them toReade street, into which they turned; and in a few moments more the oldgentleman paused before a handsome dwelling-house, standing about twentyfeet back from the line of the street. The house did not adjoin anyother building, but was located upon the edge of an open lot ofconsiderable extent.
'This is the place,' said the guide as he took a key from his pocket;then, politely desiring the lady to follow him, he ascended the steps,unlocked the front door, and they entered the house. The rooms were ofcourse entirely empty, yet they were clean and in excellentcondition.--The parlors, chambers and other apartments were admirablyarranged and Mrs. Belmont, after going all over the house, expressed herperfect satisfaction with it, and signified her wish to remove into itthe next day. The terms were soon agreed upon; and Mr. Hedge (for thatwas the name of the landlord,) after delivering the key into her hands,waited upon her to the door of her boarding-house, and then took hisleave.
The next morning, at an early hour, Mrs. Belmont began makingpreparations to occupy her new abode. From an extensive dealer she hiredelegant furniture sufficient to furnish every apartment in the house;and, by noon that day, the rooms which had lately appeared so bare anddesolate, presented an aspect of luxury and comfort. The naked wallswere covered with fine paintings, in handsome frames; rich curtains werehung in the windows, and upon the floors were laid beautifulcarpets.--The mirrors, sofas, chairs and cabinets were of the costliestkind; a magnificent piano was placed in the pa
rlor, and the lady tookcare that the chamber which she intended to occupy was fitted up withall possible elegance and taste. A voluptuous bed, in which Venus mighthave revelled, was not the least attractive feature of that luxurioussleeping apartment. Every arrangement being completed, and as it wasstill early in the afternoon, Mrs. Belmont resolved to carry out a planwhich she had formed some days previously--a plan by which she couldenjoy an interview with Nero the black. The reader is already aware thatshe disguised herself in boys' clothes, and accomplished her objectwithout much difficulty.
That evening, Mrs. Belmont was seated in the comfortable parlor of hernew abode, before a fine fire which glowed in the ample grate, anddiffused a genial warmth throughout the apartment. She had just partakenof a luxurious supper; and the materials of the repast being removed,she was indulging in reflections which were far more pleasing at thatmoment, than any which had employed her mind since her separation fromher husband.
She was attired with tasteful simplicity; for although she expected nocompany that evening, she had taken her usual pains to dress herselfbecomingly and well, being a lady who never neglected her toilet, underany circumstances--a trait of refinement which we cannot help admiring,even in one so depraved and abandoned as she was.
As she lounged indolently upon the sofa, complacently regarding herdelicate foot, which, encased in a satin slipper, reposed upon the richhearth-rug, her thoughts ran somewhat in the following channel--:
'Well--I am now not only mistress of my own actions, but also mistressof a splendidly furnished house. Ah, 'twas a fortunate day for me when Iseparated from that man I once called husband! Yet with what coolcontempt he treated me on the night when he commanded me to leave hishouse forever! How bitterly I hate that man--how I long to be revengedupon him. Not that he has ever injured me--oh, no--'tis I that haveinjured him; therefore do I hate him, and thirst for revenge! And poorNero, whom I visited this afternoon in his dungeon--how emaciated andfeeble has he become by close confinement in that gloomy place! Hisliberation must be effected, at all hazards; for strange as it is, Ilove the African passionately. Now, as regards my own position andaffairs: I am young, beautiful, and accomplished--skilled in humannature and intrigue. Two distinct paths lie before me, which are equallydesirable: as a virtuous widow lady, I can win the love and secure thehand of some rich and credulous gentleman, who, satisfied with havingobtained a pretty wife, will not be too inquisitive with reference to mypast history. In case of marriage, I will remove to Boston with my newhusband: for not being divorced from Sydney, (how I hate that name!) Ishould be rendered liable to the charge of bigamy, if the fact of mysecond marriage should transpire.--On the other hand, leaving marriageentirely out of the question: As a young and lovely woman, residingalone, and not under the protection of male relatives, I shall attractthe attention of wealthy libertines, who will almost throw theirfortunes at my feet to enjoy my favors. Selecting the richest of thesemen, it will be my aim to infatuate him by my arts, to make him myslave, and then to deny him the pleasure for which he pants, until hegives me a large sum of money; this being done, I can either surrendermyself to him, or still refuse to afford him the gratification he seeks,as suits my whim. When he becomes wearied of my perverseness andextortion, I will dismiss him, and seek another victim. Those with whomI shall thus have to deal, will be what the world calls respectablemen--husbands, fathers--perhaps professedly pious men and clergymen--whowould make any sacrifice sooner than have their amours exposed to theirwives, families, and society generally. Once having committed themselveswith me, I shall have a hold upon them, which they never can shakeoff;--a hold which will enable me to draw money from their well-filledcoffers, whenever my necessities or extravagances require it. I maypractice whatever imposition or extortion on them I choose, with perfectimpunity; they will never dare to use threats or violence towards me,for the appalling threat of _exposure_ will curb their tempers andrender them tamely submissive to all my exactions and caprices. Thuswill I reap a rich harvest from those wealthy votaries of carnalpleasure whom I may allure to my arms, while at the same time I can formy own gratification unrestrainedly enjoy the embraces of any lover whomI may happen to fancy. Ah, I am delightfully situated at present, andhave before me a glorious and happy career!'
We have devoted considerable space to the above reflections of thisunprincipled woman, because they will serve to show her views inreference to her present position, and her plans for the future.
The agreeable current of her meditations was interrupted by the entranceof her maid Susan.
'Well, ma'am,' said the abigail, 'I have obeyed all your orders; I havelocked all the doors, and fastened all the shutters, so that if theghost _should_ pay us a visit, it will have to get in through thekeyhole. But oh! my gracious! how terrible it is for you and I, ma'am,two poor weak women, as a body might say, to be all alone together in ahouse that is haunted!'
'Sit down, Susan,' said Mrs. Belmont, who was herself not altogetherdevoid of superstitious fears. 'Are you so foolish as to believe in_ghosts_? Do you think that the spirits of dead people are allowed tore-visit the earth, to frighten us out of our wits? No, no--we havereason to fear the _living_, but not those who are dead and buried.'
'But, if you please, ma'am,' rejoined Susan, in a solemn tone, 'I onceseed a ghost with my own eyes, and not only seed it, but _felt_ it,too.'
'Indeed--and pray how did that happen?' inquired her mistress.
'I'll tell you all about it, ma'am,' replied Susan, who, by the way, wasrather a pretty young woman, though she was, like all ladies' maids, aprodigious talker. 'You see, ma'am, I once went to live in the family ofa minister, and a very excellent man he was, as prayed night andmorning, and said grace afore meals. Oh, he was a dreadful clevergentleman, 'cause he always used to kiss me when he catch'd me alone,and chuck me under the chin, and tell me I was handsome. Well, Saturdaythe minister's wife and family went to pay a visit to some relations inNew Jersey, and was to stay for two or three days; but the ministerhimself didn't go with them, 'cause he was obliged to stay and preach onSunday.--Now comes the dreadful part of my story, ma'am, and it is trueas gospel.--That Saturday night, about twelve o'clock, I was awoke byhearing the door of my little attic bed-room softly open; and by thelight of the moon I seed a human figger, all dressed in white, come intothe room, shut the door, and then walk towards my bed. Oh, I wasdreadfully frightened, to be sure; and just as I was going to screamout, the ghost puts his hand upon me and says--'_hush!_' which skeer'dme so that I almost fainted away. Well, ma'am, what does the ghost donext but take ondecent liberties with me, and I was too much frightenedto say, 'have done, now!' And then the awful critter did what no ghostever did before to me, nor man neither.--Oh, I actually fainted away twoor three times; I did indeed. After a while it went away, but I was insuch a flutter that I couldn't sleep no more that night. The nextmorning I up and told the minister how I had seed a ghost, and how ithad treated me; and the minister he smiled, and said he guessed I'd getover it, and gave me some money, telling me not to say anything moreabout it, 'cause it might frighten the folks. Now, ma'am, after that,you needn't wonder that I believe in ghosts.'
Mrs. Belmont was highly amused by this narration of her maid'sexperience in supernatural visitation; and the hearty laughter in whichshe indulged at the close of the story, dispelled in a great measurethose unpleasant feelings which had begun to gain the ascendancy overher. While under the influence of those feelings, she had intended torequest Susan to sleep with her in her chamber; but as such anarrangement would betray _fear_ on her part, while she was most anxiousto appear bold and courageous, she concluded to occupy her sleepingapartment alone. Susan herself would have been very glad to share theroom of her mistress; but as a suggestion to that effect, coming fromher, might have seemed presumptuous and impertinent, she said nothingabout it. Accordingly, when the hour for retiring arrived, Mrs. Belmontretired to her chamber, where she dismissed her maid, saying that sheshould not want her services any more that night; and poor S
usan wasobliged to ascend to her solitary apartment, which she did with manyfearful misgivings, and the most dreadful apprehensions in regard toghosts, coupled with much painful reflection relative to theunpleasantness of sleeping _alone_--in a haunted house.
Mrs. Belmont disrobed herself, yet ere she retired to her couch, shepaused before a large mirror to admire her own naked and voluptuousbeauty. While she was surveying herself, she gave utterance to herthoughts in words:--
'Ah, these charms of mine will procure me friends and fortune. What mancould resist the intoxicating influence of such glorious loveliness offace and person as I possess!'
Scarcely had she uttered these words, when her ear was greeted by a lowsound, which bore some resemblance to a laugh. Terrified and trembling,she cast a rapid glance around the room, but could see nobody; she thenexamined a small closet which adjoined the chamber and looked under thebed, not knowing but that some person might be concealed there--but shecould uncover nothing to account for the noise which she had heard. Itthen occurred to her to open the door of her chamber; but as she wasabout to do so, an appalling thought flashed thro' her mind.
'What if some terrible being is now standing at the outside of thatdoor?' and she shrank from opening it. She deeply regretted that she hadnot requested her maid Susan to sleep with her, as she crept into bed,leaving a candle burning on the table.
For about a quarter of an hour she listened intensely, but the soundwhich had alarmed her was not repeated; and she began to reason withherself upon the absurdity of her fears. Finally she succeeded inpersuading herself that she had in reality heard nothing, but had beendeceived by her own imagination. Still, she could not entirely dissipateher fears; she recollected that the house had the reputation of being'haunted'--and, though she was naturally neither timid norsuperstitious, a vague and undefinable dread oppressed her, as she layin that solitary chamber, where reigned a heavy gloom and profoundstillness.
It was an hour after midnight when she awoke from an uneasy slumber intowhich she had fallen; and the first object which met her gaze, was ahuman figure, enveloped from head to toe in white drapery, standing nearher bed!
Yes, there it stood, with the upper part of a ghastly face alonevisible, pointing at her with its finger, and freezing her soul with thesteady glare of its eyes.
Long, long stood that dreadful apparition; its attitude seemed to beeither menacing or warning. The terrified woman, under the influence ofa painful fascination, could not avert her gaze from it; and the spectrestood until the candle was entirely consumed, and the room was wrappedin profound darkness. Then the Form glided to the bedside, and laid itscold hand upon her brow. '_Thou shalt see me again!_' it whispered, andthen passed noiselessly from the room.
Mrs. Belmont gave one loud and piercing scream, and then sank into astate of insensibility.