Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 117: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

104 Just as I was issuing from the mansion, Lady Mangold’s equipage drove up; and on perceiving me, she beckoned me to approach the window of her carriage. I however affected not to notice her: whereupon she immediately alighted and ac- costed me with a smirking countenance. “You did not see me, Miss Trafford,” she said, with a lisp that was half affected and half pro- duced by the false teeth. “I suppose you have | settled that little affair for me ?” “ Indeed, my lady,” I answered, very distantly and very coldly, *T have not spoken a word upon | the subject.” “Ob, I understand!” she ejaculated, with an angry toss of the head, which made the immense plumes of her bonnet wave like those on the head of a horse attached to a mourning coach. “ You are offended because I did not speak to you the day before yesterday at the shop in Regent Street. But you know it was impossible; and if poor dear Lord Mangold had been alive “So far from offended, madam,” I interrupted her, “I had erery reason to rejoice that you did not condescend to recognise me as an acquaint- ance.” “Well, I am sure, Miss Trafford! yourself!’ exclaimed the old lady: but instanta- neously relapsing into her smirking mood, she said, “ Come, you and I must not be bad friends. For if poor dear Lord Mangold were alive But however, this little affair must be managed for me. I have ordered my costume—it is all but finished, — beautiful flowing robes of white and azure, so as to have a celestial appearance! I have got the zone too—the zone of the Goddess of Beauty! the Pantheon of Heathen Mythology. have a silver crescent on my brow I shall my robes will all be edged with the most beautiful | lace, although that part of it is not exactly in the | but it will be modernizing the dress | the power of Edwin St. Clair, I had not a doubt: Pantheon : as it were. I already feel myself the Goddess; and my French maid assures me I shall look divine. If poor dear Lord Mangold were alive ——But why are you hurrying off ?” “Because I have no more time to bestow upon your ladyship,” I answered, as I stepped into the Normans’ carriage that was waiting for me, “ But you must positively go back to the Duchess,” exclaimed Lady Mangold, “and com- plete this arrangement. You can say you had forgotten it. I will take a drive round the Park in the meantime = “I beg to decline any interference on your ladyship’s behalf,” I said. * This is abominable. Miss Trafford!” she cried, in a perfect fury of vexation. ‘Now that I have gone to all the expense for the silver crescent—the zone studded with pearls—the beautiful robes of azure and white satin—the costly lace 4 “The lace, madam,” I answered, in a very low tone, so that the servants might not overhear me —and I looked her fixedly in the countenance,— “the lace, madam, cost you nothing—and you know it! Beware how you again insult me with your supercilious pride and affected disgust.” No language can depict the hideousness of aspect which Lady Mangold’s countenance assumed as I thus addressed her. Her small reptile-like eyes gleamed with the most malignant rage: she | fatigued. You forget | Lord Frederick. And tunity. ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. gasped for a moment—and then said, “Insolent minx! I will be bitterly revenged against you! If poor dear Lord Mangold were alive But I made an impatient sign for the footman to close the door of the carriage; and the next moment the equipage rolled away from the front of Ardleigh House. It had not proceeded very far before I caught sight of Lord Frederick Ravenscliffe, who was walking along Piccadilly. He immediately made a sign for the coachman to pull up; and approaching the carriage-window, he said, “I have just seen that gentleman and lady who took charge of you the other night at the theatre. I did not think I should recognise them so easily—but I did. The recollectien flashed to my mind in a moment.” “ Where are they?” I asked. “There—in that shop,” he replied. “They alighted only a few moments back from that dash- ing phaeton.” I could scarcely repress an ejaculation of mingled anger and astonishment, when on looking out of the carriage-window I at once recognised the equipage belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Parks. “Will you come and speak to them ?” asked “IT shall be happy to escort 9 you “'No—I think the occasion inconvenient,” I answered. “That gentleman and lady are evi- dently shopping—it will look strange to introduce myself in such circumstances ‘1 “ Well, if you think so, Miss Percy,” rejoined Lord Frederick, “you ntust wait a better oppor- Shall I inquire who they are ?” All things considered, it “No,” I responded. IT have been studying the dresses in | is not worth while.” He raised his hat, and passed on: and as the By the bye, | carriage continued its way, I reflected most pain- fuily on the discovery I had just made. That Mr. and Mrs. Parks had wilfully abandoned me into while their complicity in the former outrage, which was directed by Colonel Bellew, was equa!ly apparent, “They are infamous people,” I said to myself; “and Lady Lilla Essendine is deceived in them. She fancied that they were innocent of that com- plicity: but I have now the fullest conviction of their guilty connivance. Oh! they would have ruined me, whom they had known as a child!— and how narrowly have I escaped the toils which they helped to set for the purpose of enmeshing me!” I should here observe that I had only seen the Parkses three or four times since the night of the grand entertainment; and I had accepted no sub- sequent invitations to their house. This refusal on my part had not arisen from any suspicion that I had entertained—but simply because [ did not like them; and mine was never a nature to affect a friendship where it was not really expe- rienced. I resolved to avail myself of the first opportunity to let Mr. and Mrs. Parks know that I had accidentally fathomed the treacherous con- duct which they believed to be concealed: but I did not choose to travel out of my way to seek such an occasion. I had to appear at the theatre in the evening; and I returned tO Hunter Street very much Instead of joining Mr. and Mrs. Nor- a I a a TT I Gbooks Com Com