Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 278: what you’re looking at

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

ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE ——EE ee — —————— ee = SA) —S BEA ‘ 5 Ny i WES = —— Zz ce Ww, Vf Wy i, i} YY Uy, MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. OGD GPF m4 oe a SF, if Gj Py ta Se fi = Mf “oO {= Wi ty A oi; ¥ \y 5) " aN ee Ey Uy St yA \) wiry “SSE + 1S - = = JULIET NORMAN. @ piano, for instance, stuck up in that recess, I wild defy you to touch a note of it tunefully !” Without answering a syllable, Zarah rose from her seat, proceeded to the piano, placed herself there, and commenced the most difficult piece of music of which she had rendered herself the mis- tress. At first I could not prevent myself from trembling—for much I feared lest she should be nervous and thus fail of achieving the success at which she aimel in this department of her studies. But my apprehension soon wore off, as I found that she progressed with the most perfect accuracy : her execution was characterized by taste and skill; and not a false note jarred upon the ear. IL could even discern that to the very flow of harmony which she evoked from the instrument, she imparted es it were some of the enthusiasm that was in her own soul; and thus she gave greater effect to the charm of the music itself. I longed to peep forth to snatch a glimpse of St. No. 34.—ELLEeN PETcy, SS rr mr, ag Rh I a nT RS a Hil Clair’s countenance, so as to ascertain what he thought of this demonstration of Zarah’s accom- plishment: but I dared not risk aught that should tend to the discovery of my presence there. I may here observe that I always experienced a cold creeping horror, when finding myself in the neighbourhood of that man, or when brought in contact with him:—at least such had been my feeling ever since I had begun to suspect that he had been guilty of crimes the bare idea of which was only too well calculated to send a shudder along all my nerves and a glacial chill sweeping through the very blood itself. But now, for the time- being, this disagreeable sensation was absorbed in the charm of Zarah’s music, and in the glow of pleasure which I experienced at her success. “On my soul!” exclaimed St. Clair, as the last sounds of the harmony died away vibratingly through the room, “ you astonish me, Zarah !’— and yet methought there was a certain elight EOMmIc 6)(6\(0) <=) Com