Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 279: what you’re looking at

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

ee - ee ELLEN PERCY; OB, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS under-current of supercilious scorn and contempt | _when she had finished, St. Clair, throwing himself in his accents. “But, after all, one may have a natural taste for music; and iu that case a few guineas bestowed upon a skilful teacher will lead to such a result as that of which you have just given me a specimen. Have you ever heard of such a thing as cramming young men to pass their examinations at the universities or public schools ? There is such a system, I can assure you; and I now begin to think that it can as readily be applied to the art of music as to Latin, Greek, or mathe- matics.” | “There are a number of music-books,”’ re- sponded Zarab, in that same quiet tone in which she had from the first been speaking: “and if it should suit your fancy to indicate any particular piece _ “T have really a very great mind to put you to the test, Zarah,” interrupted St. Clair; “for this scene is infinitely amusing; and though I cannot for my life understand the aim of it, yet I am willing enough to prolong it, as I have nothing better to do for an hour or so.” St. Clair rose from his seat; and now I did venture to take a peep from my hiding-place. I saw that he had approached the pile of music- books which Zarah had indicated; and’ he had taken one up in his hand. He was elegantly dressed in @yening costume. His countenance, usually paje, had the slightest flush upon the cheeks—either from the effect of wine (despite his previous disavowal of having been drinking) or else from the excitement of the present scene: but his forehead retained ali that alabaster polish which seemed to render it the throne of a high order of intellect though heavens! how at times perverted! He no longer wore a mous- tache; and its absence fully revealed that upper lip with its haughty expression. His light brown bair was arranged in rich clustering eurls? and his costume set off the symmetry of his form to the fullest advantage. It was a pity to gaze upon such a perfect specimen of masculine beauty, and be compelled to recoil fm horror from the blackness of the heart which | ‘fair a4 concealed. It was as if a traveller through the fervid regions of Hindostan, came within view of a temple of most exquisite architecture, all the details being in perfect harmony, and all the external beauty of the edifice calculated to convey the most agreeable impression to the mind, were it not for the know- ledge that the temple did but enshrine an idol of the most repulsive form and revolting hideous ness. But let me return to the thread of my story. St. Clair, as I have said, took up one of the musie- books ; and haying for a few moments turned over the leaves, he selected a piece, exclaiming, “ Now Zarabh, if there be anything more than a mere parrot-like attainment in the display you have just made, you will try your hand at this. My own taste in music is not altogether slight; and therefore I warn you against making an exhibi- rae that may evoke peals of laughter from my ips.” Zarah said nothing: but she resumed her seat at the piano; and at the very first notes I could easily perceive that she was completely self- possessed, full of confidence, and having all her presence of mind about her. MHer success was 7 therefore as great as in the former instance; and back again into his seat, said, “ Well, my dear Zarah, this is uncommonly to your credit: but I am as much as ever at a loss to understand your object and purpose in seeking such an accomplish- ment.” Every soul may have its ambition,” was Zarah’s calm response. “ You aspire to shine in the senate; and it is fortunate for you that you were born a gentleman. By means of birth and education you found two-thirds of the diffieulties already surmounted when you resolved to climb the ladder. With me it is different. In the working out of my own ambition, I had to com- mence from the very beginning—to overcome the disadvantages of obscure birth and an almost utterly neglected education. Thus, in aspiring to make myself a lady 5 “A lady?” echoed St. Clair: and nothing could exceed the scornfulness of the accents in which he spoke,—a scornfulness which was pro- longed with the most withering effect in the laugh that rolled forth ina mocking harmony from his lips, { thought that Zarah would now assuredly giv vent to an outburst of fury and indignation: for labours she had endured to improve her mind and her manners, the taunt implied by St. Clair’s con- duct was most insufferably cruel. But I was mistaken. It was in the same placid patient tone a8 before that she said, “ You may laugh, Captain St. Clair: but the very loftiness pe own ambition should render you more generousin viewing my far more puny and insignificant one.” “Do you know, Zarah,” he responded, “ that this scene is most irresistibly amusing? Butif you mean me totake it seriously, be it so. In that case I must consider myself as the audience at a drama, and I must play the part of critic. In the exercise of these functions, therefore, suffer me to observe that though you exhibit a certain tastefulnéss of toilet, thanks to your milliner !—a eertaif proficiency in music, thanks to some skilfal professor !—a certain genteel choice of language and a certain smoothness of manner, thanks to your quick intelligence which has rendered you imitatively expert !—yet all these things do not constitute the lady. We will put the matter of birth out of the question—because, as society is constituted, if a gentleman marries his cook- wench, he makes her a lady, at least in name, But to be a real lady, Zarah, in the proper accep- tation of the term, you must have more accom-~ plishments than that of a mere jingling on the piano. You must write a genteel fluent hand : whereas, if my recollection serves me, your’s pro- duces the impression of having been written by a schoolboy with the point of a skewer ;—and par. don me for adding, your orthography as well as your use of capitals is the most wondrous cali- graphic mosaic-work that ever I had the misfor- tune to behold.” “ Doubtless this lone eritigue of your’s, Cap- tain St. Clair,” said Zarah, with a tone that struck me as if she were smiling with arch good-humour, “would read even better than if sounds orally. Let us see. Have patience for a few moments— and I will commit it to paper.” E@RAIELOOC) after all the pains she had taken, and the arduots ~ CE aed ii aie al com