All next day, Emma Haredale, Dolly, and Miggs, remained cooped uptogether in what had now been their prison for so many days,without seeing any person, or hearing any sound but the murmuredconversation, in an outer room, of the men who kept watch overthem. There appeared to be more of these fellows than there hadbeen hitherto; and they could no longer hear the voices of women,which they had before plainly distinguished. Some new excitement,too, seemed to prevail among them; for there was much stealthygoing in and out, and a constant questioning of those who werenewly arrived. They had previously been quite reckless in theirbehaviour; often ****** a great uproar; quarrelling amongthemselves, fighting, dancing, and singing. They were now verysubdued and silent, conversing almost in whispers, and stealing inand out with a soft and stealthy tread, very different from theboisterous trampling in which their arrivals and departures hadhitherto been announced to the trembling captives.
Whether this change was occasioned by the presence among them ofsome person of authority in their ranks, or by any other cause, they were unable to decide. Sometimes they thought it was in partattributable to there being a sick man in the chamber, for lastnight there had been a shuffling of feet, as though a burden werebrought in, and afterwards a moaning noise. But they had no meansof ascertaining the truth: for any question or entreaty on theirparts only provoked a storm of execrations, or something worse; andthey were too happy to be left alone, unassailed by threats oradmiration, to risk even that comfort, by any voluntarycommunication with those who held them in durance.
It was sufficiently evident, both to Emma and to the locksmith"spoor little daughter herself, that she, Dolly, was the greatobject of attraction; and that so soon as they should have leisureto indulge in the softer passion, Hugh and Mr Tappertit wouldcertainly fall to blows for her sake; in which latter case, it wasnot very difficult to see whose prize she would become. With allher old horror of that man revived, and deepened into a degree ofaversion and abhorrence which no language can describe; with athousand old recollections and regrets, and causes of distress,anxiety, and fear, besetting her on all sides; poor Dolly Varden-sweet,blooming, buxom Dolly--began to hang her head, and fade, anddroop, like a beautiful flower. The colour fled from her cheeks,her courage forsook her, her gentle heart failed. Unmindful of all her provoking caprices, forgetful of all her conquests andinconstancy, with all her winning little vanities quite gone, shenestled all the livelong day in Emma Haredale"s bosom; and,sometimes calling on her dear old grey-haired father, sometimes onher mother, and sometimes even on her old home, pined slowly away,like a poor bird in its cage.
Light hearts, light hearts, that float so gaily on a smooth stream,that are so sparkling and buoyant in the sunshine--down upon fruit,bloom upon flowers, blush in summer air, life of the winged insect,whose whole existence is a day--how soon ye sink in troubled water!
Poor Dolly"s heart--a little, gentle, idle, fickle thing; giddy,restless, fluttering; constant to nothing but bright looks, andsmiles and laughter--Dolly"s heart was breaking.
Emma had known grief, and could bear it better. She had littlecomfort to impart, but she could soothe and tend her, and she didso; and Dolly clung to her like a child to its nurse. Inendeavouring to inspire her with some fortitude, she increased herown; and though the nights were long, and the days dismal, and shefelt the wasting influence of watching and fatigue, and hadperhaps a more defined and clear perception of their destitutecondition and its worst dangers, she uttered no complaint. Before the ruffians, in whose power they were, she bore herself socalmly, and with such an appearance, in the midst of all herterror, of a secret conviction that they dared not harm her, thatthere was not a man among them but held her in some degree ofdread; and more than one believed she had a weapon hidden in herdress, and was prepared to use it.
Such was their condition when they were joined by Miss Miggs, whogave them to understand that she too had been taken prisonerbecause of her charms, and detailed such feats of resistance shehad performed (her virtue having given her supernatural strength),that they felt it quite a happiness to have her for a champion.
Nor was this the only comfort they derived at first from Miggs"spresence and society: for that young lady displayed suchresignation and long-suffering, and so much meek endurance, underher trials, and breathed in all her chaste discourse a spirit ofsuch holy confidence and resignation, and devout belief that allwould happen for the best, that Emma felt her courage strengthenedby the bright example; never doubting but that everything she saidwas true, and that she, like them, was torn from all she loved, andagonised by doubt and apprehension. As to poor Dolly, she wasroused, at first, by seeing one who came from home; but when sheheard under what circumstances she had left it, and into whose hands her father had fallen, she wept more bitterly than ever, andrefused all comfort.
