Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 172: what you’re looking at

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—_—_—_— oS ee, ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. 159 poison, as [I now full well comprehended! WNo | night on one occasion, and a portion of another on wonder that on that occasion she should have been a second occasion, beneath the roof of that liber- in such a hurry to have the broken glass swept up tine’s dwelling. Again, I reflected that if I and the fitid dried from off the carpet with a | assumed the attitude of an open enemy in respect brush !—and no wonder that her pet spaniel should | to Lady Lilla—thereby at the same time impli- liave been found dead under her bed; for doubt- cating St. Clair—they in their vindictive despera- less the poor animal had Japped up the poison with | tion would proclaim the terrible secrets connected its tongue aud had thus been stricken down life- | with my father; and though he had found a safe less. Ob! my mind had nowa horrible clearness; asylum in France, yet would an intolerable odium and I read as with the ghastly glare of the and a withering disgrace overtake him there, lightning-flashes, the tremendous secrets and mys- Lastly, I thought that the whole story in respect teries that pertained to the dark career of Edwin to the poisoned flower—particularly the attempt St. Clair and Lady Lilla Essendine. just made upon my own life—would be looked It was only too evident likewise that the gipsies | upon as so incredible—especially when the distin- must to a certain extent be conscious of those , guished social positions of Captain St. Clair and crimes: they must at least be acquainted with the Lady Lilla Essendine were taken into considera- secret of tle white rose impregnated with a deadly | tion,—that not merely the magistrate, but likewise venom. But how had I escaped with my life? | the whole world, would set me down as the victim Ob ! Ishuddered from head to foot as I thought | of an extraordinary hallucination, Thus, every of the fearful danger that I must have passed | thing duly weiglred, I determined to add the new through—the stupendous peril that I must have | incident to the stock of those secrets which my escaped. AndI failed not to send up from the } mind already harboured. depths of my heart a prayer of thanksgiving unto; My resolve being thus taken, I made a package heaven for thus having saved me! of the various presents I had received from Lady But how had I been saved? Was it that the | Lilla Essendine; and I despatched the parcel at artificial flower was too little impregnated with | once by a messenger to her ladyship’s abode in the the poison to prove entirely fatal P—was it that the | flower had not been held long enough to my nos- trils to work its deadliest effect ?—or was there | some resisting power in the strength of my consti- | tution? Methought that perhaps the real truth | might be found in the blending of all these hypo- | theses: but however it might be, I did not shudder | through—nor was my gratitude the less fervid for the escape I had experienced. the less coldly when thinking of what I had gone | | neighbourhood of the Regent’s Park. I sent there- with no letter: I preferred that the intelligence of the failure of her diabolic scheme should reach her through the simple medium of the restoration of those articles. What her wonderment and her alarm must have been when the packet was deli- vered into her hands, I must leave my readers to conjecture: for I myself was left only to bare sur- mise upon the point. ——— ‘thing to my friends, and proceed with them to a -woman who had attempted my life? No: for from that I should frankly reveal: all St. Clair’s past It was clear enough that Lady Lilla Essendine had fancied the work of murder to be effectually done, and that she had quitted the house without exciting any suspicion that she was leaving I under any other circumstances than those of an | ordinary character. Doubtless, if her diabolic plan On the evening of the following day, I reappeared had succeeded, my death would have been attri- | as Lady Macbeth; and in the ballet which con- buted to apoplexy or the sudden visitation of God ; | cluded the performances, Melissa Harrison took and perhaps Lady Lilla would have come forward the leading part. When Juliet was engaged at at the inquest to declare that she had left mea | the theatre, Melissa was second only to her as a few minutes previously in perfect health and in danseuse; and now she was without either a my usual spirits. Ob, what a fiend was that | superior or an equal. She was a favourite with woman! But amidst my meditations I likewise the public; and her reappearance after so long a reflected it was clear no one had entered the secession was welcomed with much applause. In. drawing-room while I remained in a swoon after | deed, she danced admirably; and as I have already Lilla’s departure. Mr. and Mrs. Norman were out; | hinted, she looked handsomer than ever. She and Julia was in her own chamber. Thus the en- | seemed to be in the enjoyment of the most vigo- tire incident was known but to Lady Lilla and | rous health: the fancy-costume which she wore, myself; and beneath a roof where passers-by sus- set-off her fine, tall, well-developed shape to the pected not at the moment that any thing unusual | utmost advantage; and thus she was certain to was taking place, a most stupendous crime had been | obtain the plaudits of all the male beholders. Her all but perpetrated. triumph was complete; and I was infinitely re- I remained for some time giving way to my joiced: for inasmuch as her resolve of returning thoughts in the solitude of my own chamber. | to the stage had been carried out, all that I could What course should I adopt? Should I tell every | now wish her was the ability to command a hand- 'some remuneration from Mr. Richards’ treasury. Juliet was at the theatre, in one of the stage- boxes; and I had waited on this occasion to wit- ness the ballet, though my usual custom was to return home immediately after the performance of my own part. Juliet came to my room when the conduct towards me; and a sense of modesty— | curtain fell; and warm were the greetings which alrhost amounting to shame—disinclined me to| took place between herself and Miss Harrison. proclaim to the world how I had passed an entire Fabs ars Mr. and Mrs. Norman joined us; and CHAPTER XXX, A STRANGE VISITRESS, magistrate to invoke the aid of the law against the this course I was withheld by several considera- tions. In the first place, it would be necessary COUN Ghoook com