- end_line
- 9272
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-30T20:48:14.842Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 9207
- text
- “But one sentence more for your own sake, Harry: hear me!”
“Not a syllable! Will you swear?—you will not? then here, give me that
purse:—there—there—take that—and that—and that;—that will pay your fare
back to Liverpool; good-by to you: you are not my friend,” and he
wheeled round his back.
I know not what flashed through my mind, but something suddenly
impelled me; and grasping his hand, I swore to him what he demanded.
Immediately he ran to the bust, whispered a word, and the
white-whiskered old man appeared: whom he clapped on the shoulder, and
then introduced me as his friend—young Lord Stormont; and bade the
almond tree look well to the comforts of his lordship, while
he—Harry—was gone.
The almond tree blandly bowed, and grimaced, with a peculiar
expression, that I hated on the spot. After a few words more, he
withdrew. Harry then shook my hand heartily, and without giving me a
chance to say one word, seized his cap, and darted out of the room,
saying, “Leave not this room tonight; and remember the letter, and
Bury!”
I fell into a chair, and gazed round at the strange-looking walls and
mysterious pictures, and up to the chandelier at the ceiling; then
rose, and opened the door, and looked down the lighted passage; but
only heard the hum from the roomful below, scattered voices, and a
hushed ivory rattling from the closed apartments adjoining. I stepped
back into the room, and a terrible revulsion came over me: I would have
given the world had I been safe back in Liverpool, fast asleep in my
old bunk in Prince’s Dock.
I shuddered at every footfall, and almost thought it must be some
assassin pursuing me. The whole place seemed infected; and a strange
thought came over me, that in the very damasks around, some eastern
plague had been imported. And was that pale yellow wine, that I drank
below, drugged? thought I. This must be some house whose foundations
take hold on the pit. But these fearful reveries only enchanted me fast
to my chair; so that, though I then wished to rush forth from the
house, my limbs seemed manacled.
While thus chained to my seat, something seemed suddenly flung open; a
confused sound of imprecations, mixed with the ivory rattling, louder
than before, burst upon my ear, and through the partly open door of the
room where I was, I caught sight of a tall, frantic man, with clenched
hands, wildly darting through the passage, toward the stairs.
And all the while, Harry ran through my soul—in and out, at every door,
that burst open to his vehement rush.
At that moment my whole acquaintance with him passed like lightning
through my mind, till I asked myself why he had come here, to London,
to do this thing?—why would not Liverpool have answered? and what did
he want of me? But, every way, his conduct was unaccountable. From the
hour he had accosted me on board the ship, his manner seemed gradually
changed; and from the moment we had sprung into the cab, he had seemed
almost another person from what he had seemed before.
But what could I do? He was gone, that was certain;—would he ever come
back? But he might still be somewhere in the house; and with a shudder,
I thought of that ivory rattling, and was almost ready to dart forth,
search every room, and save him. But that would be madness, and I had
sworn not to do so. There seemed nothing left, but to await his return.
Yet, if he did not return, what then? I took out the purse, and counted
over the money, and looked at the letter and paper of memoranda.
- title
- Chunk 5