Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 259: what you’re looking at

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

ee —_—_—_—_—_—_— 246 -——_ | not happen to know where the Marquis of Cam- ~ panella dwelt; and thus she had bidden Beda re- | pair in the first instance to Hunter Street, so that the inquiry might be made for her. One of the servants there knew the address of the Marquis; and Beda had lost no time in coming to me. I gave her many kind words as a reward for her affectionate solicitude on my behalf; and then I said, “I am going to tell you a very great secret, Beda: but you are so faithful and trustworthy that I know you will keep it.” “Oh, that I will!” she exclaimed, her superb eyes becoming singularly luminous with the joy of being admitted into my confidence. “T am going to set out presently on a very long journey, Beda,” I continued; “and you shall ac- company me. But you are not hereafter to speak of this unless I give you my free permission.” “As I wouid lay down my life for you,” she émphatically replied, ‘‘ you do not suppose that I would fail in my obedience in a matter so easy as this.” I was satisfied; and having bidden farewell to the Marquis and Marchioness of Campanella, as well as to Beatrico—whom I begged to take charge of any letters that might arrive in my absence —I entered the carriage which the Marchioness had ordered to convey me to the railway-station. Beda accompanied me; and we set out on our journey towards the north. eee CHAPTER XLIII. THE MEETING. Iv was about ten or eleven months since I was formerly at Paisley, on the occasion when I at- tended the death-bed of my aunt Mrs. Wakefield. The clocks were striking five in the afternoon when I thus reached it again; and I repaired to a hotel, still attended by the faithful Beda. I had not so completely adhered to my resolve to per- form the journey by easy stages, as to arrive in Paisley without the sense of much weariness, ap: proaching even to exhaustion: but still I could not rest a moment before making inquiries for Henry Wakefield. I penned a brief note, to the effect that I had come all the way from the neighbourhood of Dover—a distance of some hundreds of miles— for the purpose of giving those explanations and affording those proofs which should convince my cousin how deeply wronged I had been by his suspicions. J claimed it as a right that he should afford me an opportunity of clearing up my cha- racter; and [ entreated that no matter what cha@feo had taken place in his feelings towards me, he would not deny me this right which as a fellow-creature I demanded. I entrusted the note to the hotel-porter to take to Mr. Macdonald’s manufactory or to his private residence, at whichsoever place Mr. Wakefield might be found; or at all events to prosecute his inquiries until he should discover whether my cousin were still in Paisley or not. The man set out; and the half-hour of his absence was a most anxious one for me. I had consigned Beda to the bed-chamber; and I was alone in the sitting- ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. ——— room which I occupied at the hotel. Wearied though I werey I could not remain seated: I kept walking about in the room, although a thousand times I said to myself that I ought to have more fortitude and composure, and that I was geting rather as a guilty than as an innoceat person, Ah! bat then, reader, I loved Henry!—and it was very different in having to vindicate myself before him, from what it would have been if he were a person who was in all respects indifferent to me save with regard to the suspicion which was entertained against my character ! At length the porter returned, bringing me the announcement that he had found Mr. Wakefield at the private residence of Mr. Macdonald, and that he would be with me in a few minutes. The man retired; and I now exerted all my powor to arm myself with composure. I succeeded but indifferently ; for my nerves, weakened by illness, had been unstrung by the Jong journey and by the excitement of the thoughts which had occu- pied me while travelling. Indeed I was fearfully agitated; and when I heard footsteps approaching along the passage leading to the parlour, I felt a dizziness come over me as if I should faint. The door was thrown open—and the waiter announced Mr. Wakefield. I sank down upon a seat: I could not give utterance to a word. My cousin appeared in the room; and the door closed behind him. His countenance was very pale: his classical well- formed lips were compressed with a severe expres« sion: but he could not prevent a look of compas- sion and of lingering fondness from appearing in his soft brown eyes. All of a sudden I regained somewhat of my self-possession; and rising from my seat, I exclaimed, “ Henry, you have wronged me! Iswear to you that I em innocent !” He shook his head despairingly,~murmuring, “Would to God that I could think so !’—and it was with difficulty that be stifled a sob which ap- peared to be convulsing him inwardly. “ O Henry!” I exclaimed, in a voice of reproach ; “if every Wind of circumstantial evidence had combined to throw a suspicion on your character, { should not thus prejudge you—I should at least have listened to whatsoever explanations you wight have had to proffer!—and Oh! I should not suffer a whole fortnight to elapse without con- descending to take the slightest notice of any letter that you might have written fo me!” “In that respect, Ellen, I am blameless,” re- plied my cousin. “I returned but this day to Paisley after an absence at Liverpool; and by an oversight the letter you wrote mo from River House, was not forwarded in the interval to my address at that towa. I have been like one dis- tracted Oh! there are so many circumstances for you to explain, that I fear But I will hear you, Hllen! God knows I am incapable of doing you a wilful wrong !” He had pressed his hand to his brow when in- terrupting himself in the midst of bis speech: for an instant ho had a wild half-frenzied look; and, Oh! the bitterest pangs shot through my heart as I thus contemplated him! He sat down; and his strong efforts to maintain an air of composure were plainly visible. “ In the first place,” I said, my cheeks suddenly burning at the idea of vindicating myself on such COMIC ———__—_——— a Se ee ae ac tn li LD | | |