Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 241: what you’re looking at

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

2? 3 mind, ‘are Wiitiam Lardner.’—And it was so. I must tell you, Miss Perey, that when I was a little girl, living with my parents in the caravan, Wil- liam Lardner, who used to travel with his own parents in a similar manner, was my playmate when the two families happened to meet, which was very often. I had not seen William since the death of my own parents, until I met him that day. He told me that his father and mother were likewise dead: they had died about three years ago; and he, disgusted with the wandering life of & gipsy, had embarked as a cabin boy on board a merchani-vesseL It further appeared that some few weeks back, on leaving that ship, he happened to fall in with Zarah’s grandmother, who at once informed him that if was in her power to procure him a much better situation—in short, a berth on board a gentleman’s yacht. He was introduced to that gentleman: his testimonials were good; and he was at once accepted. He was ordered to re- pair to a seaport in France, where the yacht was built; and he went on board. Thence after a while the yacht sailed for England; and it had arrived in Ramsgate harbour the very same day on which I thus met him.” “The same day of our own arrival at Rams- gate P” I observed. ‘ “The very same,” replied Beda. “ William Lardner spoke in high terms of his new situation ; for he was well paid, well fed, and well treated ; and he was proud likewise of the little vessel to which he belonged. I casually inquired of him who was the owner of the yacht ; and he answered, ‘Captain St. Clair.’ The reply struck me with mingled surprise and, alarm; for I could not help thinking that the presence of Captain St. Clair at Ramsgate at the same time that you yourself, Miss, were here, was something more than a mere coincidence and that it might bode danger to you. I did not choose to inspire you with apprehensions, which after all might be utterly unfounded :—and perhaps also,” added Beda, with a slight blush upon her cheeks, “ I had my own little pride—and I thought that if there were really any danger, it should be my task to discover and defeat it; for it was by those means only that I could testify the deep gratitude that I owe you.” “Kseellent Beda!” I exclaimed, affectionately caressing her cheek. “On the following day you left Ramsgate,” she continued; “ and I resolved to seek William Lard- ner, and endeavour to ascertain through him what Captain St. Clair’s intentions might be—whether he intended to remain any time in Ramsgate, or whether the yacht was shortly to proceed else- where. I fancied that if I wore the good clothes you had given me, my visits to the yacht would appear strange; and I therefore assumed the poorest garb that I possessed. I soon found an opportunity of conversing with William; and I discovered that he was prepared to do anything for me. When once assured of his good feeling, his sincerity, and his readiness, I took him into my confidence: I told him that I was in the service of a young lady who had done everything for me, and to whom I was bound by every tie of gratitude. You know not, Miss Percy, how strong are the feelings of sympathy which exist amongst persons of my race: we all seem as if in certain respects we have an identity of interests; and the gipsy ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. will help another in purposes either of vengeance for injuries or of gratitude for bounties. Nor was William Lardner deficient in such sympathies as these, although he had renounced a gipsy life, and on board his vessel strenuously denied his gipsy origin. ‘To be brief, he swore to assist me to the utmost of his power; and from all that I told him he began to think that it was not perhaps alto- gether from a friendly motive that Zarah’s grand- mother had recommended him to the service of Edwin St. Clair. In the course of conversation I learnt that St. Clair had on the preceding evening visited his yacht in company with a lady who had just arrived from London; and I bade William discover her name, if possible—for I thought she might be Lady Lilla Essendine. You know, Miss Percy, that Zarah instructed me to watch over your interests, before you took me into your ser- vice ; and she told me enough at the time to make her think it probable that St. Clair and Lady Lilla were combining their machinations against your peace and security. William Lardner failed not to act according to the desire that I expressed ; and he succeeded in learning that the lady was in- deed none other than Lilla Essendine.” “‘ And does not Captain St. Clair live on board his yacht P” I asked. “No, Miss,” replied Beda: “he has been stop- ping at one hotel, while Lady Lilla has resided at another. I have watched them, and I have seen that Captain St. Clair has not visited her ladyship at her hotel, but that they have met on board the yacht. By dint of prying and listening, William Lardner succeeded in ascertaining that your name was frequently mentioned by St. Clair and Lady Lilla when they were together: and her ladyship on each occasion wrote a great deal upon pieces of note-paper, but always as if she were copy.ng something from other letters which lay before her. This was in the inner cabin of the vessel ; and it was usually of an evening, after dusk, that Lady Lilla Essendine joined Captain St. Clair there. Still William’s opportunities for gleaning any ?1- formation were so slight, and the few particulars he could pick up were so trivial, that they afforded no clue to the ulterior aims of Captain St. Clair and Lady Lilla Essendine. It was absolutely necessary for me to do something in order to penetrate farther into the mystery. I consulted with William ; and we at length hit upon a plan, which I determined to adopt, although it was attended with no small risk, not merely of detec- tion, but even to my life itself.” “Good heavens, Beda!’ I exclaimed: “ what mean you?” “You shall learn, Miss Percy,’ she replied. “You remember those sofa-like divans in both the cabins P? For the most part they are fitted up so as to form hollows or recesses to contain stores, wine, and so forth. The project was nothing less than that I should conceal myself in one of these recesses ; and in order to prevent me from being stifled in so coffin-like a place, William, whose duty it was to clean out the cabins, bored threg or four holes in a spot where it was least probable that they would be observed. The evening before last the plan was carried into execution; and when the dusk set in, I glided down into the cabin, un- perceived by the other sailors. William quickly followed me: I secreted myself in the hiding- OS SS 7 —_— — ——— ee ee eee <S) Eom. * —~ A — - * << a “ee. 4 CONMEOOO