Auriol; or, The Elixir of Life

by William Harrison Ainsworth

  CHAPTER IV

  THE PIT

  So bewildered was the poor iron-merchant by the strange and terribleevents that had befallen him, that, though released by the two maskedattendants, who left him, as before related, to seize Gerard Paston, hefelt utterly incapable of exertion, and would probably have made noeffort to regain his freedom, if his coat had not been vigorouslyplucked behind, while a low voice urged him to fly. Glancing in thedirection of the friendly speaker, he could just discern a diminutiveobject standing within the entrance of a side-passage, and reared upagainst the wall so as to be out of sight of Rougemont and hisattendants. It was the monkey--or rather Old Parr--who, continuing totug violently at his coat, at last succeeded in drawing him backwardsinto the passage, and then grasping his hand tightly, hurried him alongit. The passage was wholly unlighted, but Mr. Thorneycroft couldperceive that it was exceedingly circuitous, and winded round like amaze.

  "Where are you taking me?" he inquired, attempting to stop.

  "Ask no questions," rejoined the dwarf, pulling him along. "Do you wantto be captured, and shut up in a cell for the rest of your life?"

  "Certainly not," replied Thorneycroft, accelerating his movements; "Ihope there's no chance of it."

  "There's every chance of it," rejoined Old Parr. "If you're taken,you'll share Auriol's fate."

  "O Lord! I hope not," groaned the iron-merchant. "I declare, youfrighten me so much that you take away all power of movement. I shalldrop in a minute."

  "Come along, I say," screamed the dwarf. "I hear them close behind us."

  And as he spoke, shouts, and the noise of rapidly-approaching footsteps,resounded along the passage.

  "I can't stir another step," gasped the iron-merchant. "I'm completelydone. Better yield at once."

  "What, without a struggle?" cried the dwarf tauntingly. "Think of yourdaughter, and let the thought of her nerve your heart. She is lost forever, if you don't get out of this accursed place."

  "She is lost for ever as it is," cried the iron-merchant despairingly.

  "No--she may yet be saved," rejoined the dwarf. "Come on--come on--theyare close behind us."

  And it was evident, from the increased clamour, that their pursuers wereupon them.

  Roused by the imminence of the danger, and by the hope of rescuing hisdaughter, Mr. Thorneycroft exerted all his energies, and sprang forward.A little farther on, they were stopped by a door. It was closed; andventing his disappointment in a scream, the dwarf searched for thehandle, but could not find it.

  "We are entrapped--we shall be caught," he cried, "and then woe to bothof us. Fool that I was to attempt your preservation. Better I had leftyou to rot in a dungeon than have incurred Rougemont's displeasure."

  The iron-merchant replied by a groan.

  "It's all over with me," he said. "I give it up--I'll die here!"

  "No--we are saved," cried the dwarf, as the light, now flashing stronglyupon the door, revealed a small iron button within it,--"saved--saved!"

  As he spoke, he pressed against the button, which moved a spring, andthe door flew open. Just as they passed through it, the two maskedattendants came in sight. The dwarf instantly shut the door, and findinga bolt on the side next him, shot it into the socket. Scarcely had heaccomplished this, when the pursuers came up, and dashed themselvesagainst the door; but finding it bolted, presently ceased their efforts,and apparently withdrew.

  "They are gone by some other way to intercept us," cried Old Parr, whohad paused for a moment to listen; "come on, Mr. Thorneycroft."

  "I'll try," replied the iron-merchant, with a subdued groan, "but I'mcompletely spent. Oh that I ever ventured into this place!"

  "It's too late to think of that now; besides, you came here to rescueyour daughter," rejoined Old Parr. "Take care and keep near me. I wonderwhere this passage leads to?"

  "Don't you know?" inquired the iron-merchant.

  "Not in the least," returned the dwarf. "This is the first time I'vebeen here--and it shall be the last, if I'm allowed any choice in thematter."

  "You haven't told me how you came here at all," observed Thorneycroft.

  "I hardly know myself," replied the dwarf; "but I find it more difficultto get out than I did to get in. How this passage twists about! Ideclare we seem to be returning to the point we started from."

  "I think we are turning round ourselves," cried Thorneycroft, in anagony of fright. "My head is going. Oh dear! oh dear!"

  "Why, it does seem very strange, I must say," remarked the dwarf, comingto a halt. "I could almost fancy that the solid stone walls were movingaround us."

  "They _are_ moving," cried Thorneycroft, stretching out his hand. "Ifeel 'em. Lord have mercy upon us, and deliver us from the power of theEvil One!"

  "The place seems on fire," cried the dwarf. "A thick smoke fills thepassage. Don't you perceive it, Mr. Thorneycroft?"

  "Don't I!--to be sure I do," cried the iron-merchant, coughing andsneezing. "I feel as if I were in a room with a smoky chimney, and nowindow open. Oh!--oh!--I'm choking!"

  "Don't mind it," cried the dwarf, who seemed quite at his ease. "Weshall soon be out of the smoke."

  "I can't stand it," cried Mr. Thorneycroft; "I shall die. Oh!poah--pish--puff!"

  "Come on, I tell you--you'll get some fresh air in a minute," rejoinedOld Parr. "Halloa! how's this? No outlet. We're come to a dead stop."

  "Dead stop, indeed!" echoed the iron-merchant. "We've come to that longago. But what new difficulty has arisen?"

  "Merely that the road's blocked up by a solid wall--that's all," repliedOld Parr.

  "Blocked up!" exclaimed Thorneycroft. "Then we're entombed alive."

  "_I_ am," said the dwarf, with affected nonchalance. "As to you, you'vethe comfort of knowing it'll soon be over with you. But for me, nothingcan harm me."

  "Don't be too sure of that," cried a voice above them.

  "Did you speak, Mr. Thorneycroft?" asked the dwarf.

  "N-o-o--not I," gasped the iron-merchant. "I'm suffocating--help to dragme out."

  "Get out if you can," cried the voice that had just spoken.

  "It's Rougemont himself," cried the dwarf in alarm. "Then there's noescape."

  "None whatever, rascal," replied the unseen speaker. "I want you. I havemore work for you to do."

  "I won't leave Mr. Thorneycroft," cried the dwarf resolutely. "I'vepromised to preserve him, and I'll keep my word."

  "Fool!" cried the other. "You must obey when I command."

  And as the words were uttered, a hand was thrust down from above, which,grasping the dwarf by the nape of the neck, drew him upwards.

  "Lay hold of me, Mr. Thorneycroft," screamed Old Parr. "I'm going upagain--lay hold of me--pull me down."

  Well-nigh stifled by the thickening and pungent vapour, the pooriron-merchant found compliance impossible. Before he could reach thedwarf, the little fellow was carried off. Left to himself, Mr.Thorneycroft staggered along the passage, expecting every moment todrop, until at length a current of fresh air blew in his face, andenabled him to breathe more freely. Somewhat revived, he went on, butwith great deliberation, and it was well he did so, for he suddenlyarrived at the brink of a pit about eight feet in depth, into which, ifhe had approached it incautiously, he must infallibly have stumbled, andin all probability have broken his neck. This pit evidently communicatedwith a lower range of chambers, as was shown by a brazen lamp burningunder an archway. A ladder was planted at one side, and by this Mr.Thorneycroft descended, but scarcely had he set foot on the ground, thanhe felt himself rudely grasped by a man who stepped from under thearchway. The next moment, however, he was released, while the familiarvoice of the Tinker exclaimed--

  "Vy, bless my 'art, if it ain't Mister Thorneycroft."

  "Yes, it's me, certainly, Mr. Tinker," replied the iron-merchant. "Who'sthat you've got with you?"

  "Vy, who should it be but the Sandman," rejoined the other gruffly."Ve've set ourselves free at last, and have made some nice diskiveriesinto the
bargin."

  "Yes, ve've found it all out," added the Tinker.

  "What have you discovered--what have you found out?" cried theiron-merchant breathlessly. "Have you found my daughter? Where is she?Take me to her."

  "Not so fast, old gent, not so fast," rejoined the Tinker. "Ve ain'tsure as 'ow ve've found your darter, but ve've catched a peep of a niceyoung 'ooman."

  "Oh! it must be her--no doubt of it," cried the iron-merchant. "Where isshe? Take me to her without a moment's delay."

  "But ve can't get to her, I tell 'ee," replied the Tinker. "Ve knows theplace vere she's a-shut up,--that's all."

  "Take me to it," cried Mr. Thorneycroft eagerly.

  "Vell, if you must go, step this vay, then," rejoined the Tinker,proceeding towards the archway. "Halloa, Sandy, did you shut the doorarter you?"

  "Not I," replied the other; "open it."

  "Easily said," rejoined the Tinker, "but not quevite so easily done. Vy,zounds, it's shut of itself and bolted itself on t'other side!"

  "Some one must have followed you," groaned Thorneycroft. "We're watchedon all sides."

  "Ay, and from above, too," cried the Sandman. "Look up there!" he added,in accents of alarm.

  "What's the matter? What new danger is at hand?" inquired theiron-merchant.

  "Look up, I say," cried the Sandman. "Don't ye see, Tinker?"

  "Ay, ay, I see," replied the other. "The roof's a-comin' in upon us.Let's get out o' this as fast as ve can." And he kicked and pushedagainst the door, but all his efforts were unavailing to burst it open.

  At the same time the Sandman rushed towards the ladder, but before hecould mount it all egress by that means was cut off. An immense ironcover worked in a groove was pushed by some unseen machinery over thetop of the pit, and enclosed them in it.