Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 208: what you’re looking at

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

——— eae eee ee ee - ELLEN PERCY ; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. the reader that I was at the instant compelled to exert preterhuman efforts to compose my mind sufficiently for the task that I was thus forced to undertake: but the state of my feelings soon gave a terribly truthful vividness to my personifi- cation of the character. I was inspired by a real grief—filled with a veritable agony. In the most effective parts I still kept thinking of Beatrice; and that audience of thousands of people little sus- pected how much there was of natural woe in my performance that night. Immense though all my previous triumphs had been, they were eclipsed by this one: but when I retired to my dressing-room, I had barely time to dismiss the lady’s-maid on some pretext, before I burst out into a complete agony of sobbing and weeping. The paroxysm of my anguish was only just passed, when my maid returned with the intima- tion that a female, who gave some name—I now forget what it was—desired to see me. Knowing it was Zarah, I ordered that she should be imme- diately admitted ; and in a few moments she made her appearance. A dark veil concealed her coun- tenance. She was dressed plainly but in a most respectable style; and no one who had seen her enter the establishment, could have suspected that she belonged to the gipsy race. I bade the maid retire again; and I was left alone with Zarah. *You succeeded, Miss Percy,” she said, “in escaping last night from the notice of Edwin St. Clair as he returned on horseback along the lane.” “Ves—I avoided him,’ I responded. “ But, tell me, Zarah—did your stratagem completely succeed ? did he fail to suspect -——” “He suspected not my complicity,” answered Zarah, “ Nothing could exceed his rage when he found that you had taken to flight: but he was not the less astonished at that which he naturally conceived to be your extraordinary presence of mind—your perseverance in overcoming difficulties —in short, the whole details of your escape. His vexation was indescribable. You may suppose, Miss Percy, what it must have been when I tell you that for weeks past he had been settling his plans to ensnare you at that old farm-house. He had the room furnished and fitted up for your re- ception: he ordered the bars to be put to the windows; and when his arrangements were complete, he employed those two men to watch your movements and avail themselves of the first opportunity to seize upon you and carry you off. It was only two or three days ago that he wrote to my grandmother to come up to London: but he specified not in the letter for what purpose he re- quired her services. We arrived in the metropolis the day before yesterday; and according to St. Clair’s directions, we took a lodging on the out- skirts of Highbury. His object was that we should wait there until your capture should place my grandmother’s™services in requisition. Thus you see that we were not many hours in the me- tropolis before the message came to bid us repair to the farm-house. It was only on setting foot within the walls of that place, that we learnt the object for which we had been summoned from Warwickshire. Rest assured, my dear Miss Percy, that if I had previously known how St. Clair was once more plotting against your peace and safety, I should have sent you due warning.” 195 —— TI feel convinced that you would have done so,” was my answer. “ But tell me, Zarah—why have you thus interested yourself in me P” The gipsy, who had raised her veil, fixed her large dark eyes upon my countenance, and said, “Can you not give me credit for good feelings,— feelings of friendship 2 “Pardon me for saying,” I interrupted her, “that I think you have some deeper motive. St. Clair evidently fancies that in all these machina- tions of his he can rely upon your assistance as well as that of your grandmother Pi “Yes, yes—he may entertain the idea!” ex- claimed Zarah, with mingled vehemence and bit- terness: “but he is mistaken—and you see that he is! Perhaps, Miss Percy,” she continued, in a slower tone and with a refiective manner, “he is not quite so desirous of having my succour and complicity in these projects of his as he may ap- pear to be. But he cannot dispense with the ser- vices of my grandmother,—who has been, and still is, an unscrupulous agent of Edwin St. Clair’s; and whithersoever the old woman goes, I am bound to accompany her.” | “Yes, Zarah,” I said, seriously and reservedly —for I experienced a sudden return of that strong loathing with which the gipsy’s presence hac in- spired me on her first appearance in the prison- chamber; “I am afraid your grandmother has in- deed proved an unscrupulous agent ** Ah, I see what is passing in your mind, Miss Percy!” interrupted Zarah, as she half started from her seat, while her eyes flashed with sudden and wild fires, and her countenance grew crimson with the warm blood mantling through the duski- ness of her complexion: “but you wrong me! IL myself have been no accomplice in a crime !” “ Zarah, if this be true,” I exclaimed fervidly, * you know not with what pleasure I receive the assurance: for I had every reason to be grateful towards you—the sentiment of gratitude is itself closely allied with friendship—and it would be im- possible to entertain such friendship 4 “ Tcomprehend you, Miss Percy, But enough,” continued Zarah: “ there is naught in my charac- ter which may shock you to that extent. It is true that whatsoever has happened has become known to me—no matter how: true also that I have held my peace—I have puta seal upon my lips, instead of proclaiming to the world or whis- pering in the ears of justice all that has thus come to my knowledge. In this respect perhaps I may be criminal in your eyes , “ Alas!” I said; “ how dare I think so when to a certain extent I myself am enabled to suspect the nature of those awful mysteries which enve- lope St. Clair and Lady Lilla Essendine as with a dark cloud? Yet on my lips also is there a seal; and it is you, Zarah, who have placed it there!” “True, Miss Percy!” rejoined the gipsy; “‘ and you remain silent because gratitude towards me forces you to respect the injunction which I gave in that sense. Can you not therefore understand that there may be motives of an equally strong nature—even much stronger perhaps—that bind me to silence? My aged grandmother, for instance —think you that I would involve her = “Enough, Zarah!” I interrupted her: “ this subject is too painful for further discussion. As for myself, Iam indebted to you in a thousand GOmichdoo <S Com