Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 188: what you’re looking at

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

_ ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMCIRS OF AN ACTRESS. engaged to wed an honourable young nobleman, whose loye and attachment will not be impaired by the peo that is taking place in your for- tunes Ae “Mr. Lockhart, you are driving me mad!” ex- claimed Cecilia. ‘“ Pray have mercy upon me!— relieve me from suspense! What is this dreadful intelligence? Am I not the heiress of the vast domains belonging to the house of Hythorne? Speak !—tell me!” * Without entering for the present into minute perticulars,” answered Mr. Lockhart, “it will be sufficient — alas! more than sufficient, for me to announce Do for heaven’s sake, Lady Cecilia, summon all your fortitude to your aid a “Yes, yes—I am firm! indeed I am firm!” she exclaimed: but the voice appeared to come from the throat of one who was shivering and shudder. ing. “Goon! You mean to tell me that it is all a delusion and that I am a beggar ?” “Pray, my dear Lady Cecilia, do not speak so bitterly as this! You know not how much I my- self am distressed !’—and the lawyer’s voice was of a tone to corroborate the assurance. “As for the strong terms that you have used, that you are a beggar—it is not quite so bad as that. But in- stead of being the heiress to fifteen thousand a-year, I am sorry to say that a bare five or six hundred will be all that your ladyship has to rely upon. We made sure that your cousin—your late father’s nephew—was dead—that he had perished at sea— but he has suddenly reappeared "4 * Hnough, Mr.. Lockhart!” interrupted Lady Cecilia. ‘If my cousin be alive, he is undoubtedly heir to the title and estates of EKythorne. There is no disputing this fact: nor would I do so, if any legal quibble were to open the door to litigation. As for any other particulars—and as for the perusal of those deeds, which you have doubtless brought to prove the fact of my cousin’s right and titleh— haye the kindness to let all this stand over until to-morrow. Your word is sufficient, Mr. Lock- hart. I thank you for the delicacy with which you have broken this painful intelligence to me. And now leave me!” “i can assure you, my lady, it has been a most painful task for me,” said the lawyer. “TI will leave yous I know the strength of your mind; and I again congratulate you on your approaching nuptials with a young nobleman who loves you for 2? ° yourself alone, and not for the property which you were supposed to possess.” Mr. Lockhart then took his leave; and as the door closed behind him, I heard a sound like a burst of conyulsing anguish from the lips of Lady Cecilia Urban. 1 peeped through the key-hole, and saw that she was seated upon a chair, with downcast eyes, and looking the very picture of dis- tress and woe. But all of a sudden—as if recol- lecting something—she started up, and hastened to open the folding-doors leading into the apart- ment to which Lord Frederick Ravenscliffe had retired, As I afterwards learnt, she found him seated at the table, apparently engaged with a book: but she at once saw by his countenance that he had overheard everything, and that he was asto- nished as well as dismayed. He rose from his chair, and returned into the central drawing-room. “ Frederick, you know all!” said Lady Cecilia, in accents of melting mournfulness. “I thought SS ee eee ee to give you a fortune: but, alas! it is only the poorest pittance in the shape of gold that I can bring with me as my dower. Of my love, how- ever, you know the strength He *To tell you the truth, Lady Cecilia,” inter- rupted Lord Frederick, in a cold voice, “I fancied just now, while we were together, that your love could not be so very strong after all; because you seemed. to suspect minoe—and you also endeavoured to pick a quarrel with me.” “* Good heavens, Frederick! what do you mean?” exclaimed Lady Cecilia, in a voice which seemed full of anguish. “I quarrel with you!” “ Well, it was something very much like it,” answered the young nobleman, doggedly if not brutally; “ for you reminded me of the very seri- ous step you were taki i “Oh! it was merely to elicit fresh assurances of love from your lips!” cried the young lady. “Well, but I was thinking,” continued Ravens. cliffe, “even before I heard a syllable of what was passing betwixt you and the lawyer for of course the loss of your fortune is no consideration with me but I was thinking, I say, that there was something incompatible in our tempers; for you must admit, Lady Cecilia, that you are some- what haughty and self-willed. And then too, I did not at all like to be told that you felt that you were taking a very serious step: it looked as if you half repented a. “This is cruel, Frederick—most cruel!” ex claimed Cecilia. “ Your manner did not change while we were together. On the contrary you seemed to be pleased that 1 should endeavour to elicit assurances of loye from your lips. You vowed eternal fidelity to me fo * Ah! because LI was bewildered and thrown off my guard at the time,’ interjected Lord Fre. derick. ‘‘There is no reason why we should not be very good friends, Cecilia: but I really think that I am best studying our mutual happiness by recommending that everything we have so seriously thought of should be at an end. Pray do not attribute it to any selfishness on my part A “Hush !”- ejaculated Lady Cecilia: “there is another knock at the door! Remain here, my lord, for a@ few minutes, to compose your looks ‘ Her ladyship ceased as the footman entered the room, saying, “ If you please, my lady, Mr. Lock- hart has returned.” “‘ Show him up,” said Cecilia. “TIT am here!” exclaimed the making his appearance. “I have such joyful news for you! Icould not help rushibg back to communicate them as soon as possible! Only think !—at the end of the street I met one of my clerks, who was hurrying down here to bring a piece of intelligence which had just reached the office. A vile heartless trick has been perpetrated upon me—a forged letter—in vulgar parlance, my dear Lady Cecilia, a shameful hoax ¢ “ Good heavens! what mean you ?” exclaimed the patrician lady, as if full of excitement. “ AllT told you is wrong!” cried Mr. Lockhart : “ your cousin has not appeared—he is positively dead—and you are still the heiress, beyond the possibility of dispute, to the estates of Eythorne! I congratutate you, my dear Lady Cecilia—most lawyer, now Com Ghboo 6S Com