Within the Maze: A Novel, Vol. 1 (of 2)Wood, Henry, Mrs.
General
Within the Maze: A Novel, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Wood, Henry, Mrs.
English fiction -- 19th century
The Maze was an old-fashioned, curious house inside, full of angles
and passages and nooks and corners. Its rooms were small, and not many
in number, the principal ones being fitted up with dark mahogany
wainscoting. The windows were all casement windows with the exception
of two: into those, modern sashes of good size had been placed by the
late owner and occupant, Mr. Throcton. At Mr. Throcton's death the
property was put up for sale and was bought by Sir Joseph Andinnian,
furniture and all, just as it stood. Or, it may rather be said, was
bought by Lady Andinnian; for the whim to buy it was hers. Just after
the purchase had been entirely completed Lady Andinnian sickened and
died. Sir Joseph, ill at the time, did nothing whatever with the new
place; so that on his death it came into the possession of his heirs
in exactly the same state as when it was purchased. They let it be
also, and it remained shut up. According to what Mr. Smith informed
Miss Blake--and he was in the main correct, though not quite--Mrs.
Grey had come to it and taken possession while Mrs. Andinnian lay ill
at Foxwood and her son Karl was in attendance on her. But the little
fable the agent had made use of--that he had gone over to the Maze to
receive the premium from Mrs. Grey on taking possession--had no
foundation in fact. He had certainly gone to the Maze and seen the
lady called Mrs. Grey, but not to receive a premium, for she paid
none.
The two rooms into which sash windows had been placed were--the one
that faced Miss Blake when she had penetrated to the confines of the
Maze on that unlucky day, and within which she had seen the
unconscious Mrs. Grey; and the one above it. They were at the end of
the house, looking towards the entrance gates. Into this upper room
the reader must pay a night visit. It was used as a sitting-room. The
same dark mahogany wainscoting lined the walls as in the room below,
the furniture was dark and heavy-looking; and, in spite of the sultry
heat of the night, the shutters were closed before the window and dull
crimson curtains of damask wool were drawn across them. There was
nothing bright in the appendages of the room, save the lighted lamp on
the table and a crystal vase of hothouse flowers.
Seated at the table at work--the making of an infant's frock--was
Mrs. Grey. Opposite to her, in the space between the table and the
fire-place, sat Sir Karl; and by her side, facing him--Adam Andinnian.
It is more than probable that this will be no surprise; that the
reader has already divined the truth of the secret, and all the
miserable complication it had brought and was bringing in its train.
It was not Adam Andinnian who had died in that fatal scuffle off
Portland Island--or more strictly speaking, off Weymouth--but one of
the others who had been concerned in it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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