Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 282: what you’re looking at

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

ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. love is; and if for such instruction on your part marriage is the penalty, you must pay it! Though but the poor and humble gipsy, I had my own ideas of virgin pride and dignity; and you brought me down from that proud pedestal. In a word, Edwin, you were my seducer—and you shall become my husband !” “Zarah!” replied St. Clair, “you know not what you ask of me! If you were better ac- quainted with the world, you would laugh at your own self for that which you would then compre- hend to be the most egregious folly. Suppose for an instant that I were to yield and make you my wife: I should become the object of scorn and contempt on the part of all my friends and ac- quaintances:—and would yow like to know that your husband was thus the laughing-stock of everybody P” “Did you not ere now say,’ inquired Zarah, “that a gentleman may marry his cook-maid, and he thereby renders her a lady. The gentle- man does not descend to the level of her whom he espouses: he raises her up to become the sharer of his own position.” “ By heavens, Zarah, you will drive me mad !” exclaimed St. Clair, now losing all control over his temper. ‘“ Your arguments are monstrous! your reasonings are absurd! You cannot be so insane as to fancy that I shall conduct a low-born gipsy to the altar! Why, my good gir], I have seen you without shoes—in rags e “Ah!” ejaculated Zarah, now no longer able to control her own indignant feelings; “ you have done well to remind me of all this! It was when I was with naked feet and clothed in rags, some five years ago, that you, Edwin St. Clair, ad- dressed me in the language of love !—you thought me worthy of becoming your toy—your mistress! —and you vowed that you would never forget the poor gipsy Zarah! Now behold me clothed in silk—bedecked with lace and with jewellery; and if raiment have anything to do with the heart’s affections or with the duty of a man towards a woman, then do IJ fearlessly proclaim that if in my tatters, my semi-nudity, my coarseness of manner, and my mental ignorance, 1 were worthy of be- coming your mistress—xow, in the gentility of my toilet, in the refinements which I have acquired, and in the enlightenment of my mind, [I am worthy of becoming your wife!” * But how would you meet the world’s ridi- cule?” demanded St. Clair: “or rather le¢ me ask how you would enable me to meet it ?” “For shame, Edwin!” exclaimed Zarah, in a tone of indignant reproach: “how can you ap- peal to a woman to teach you your duties as a man? The very moment that any supercilious gaze is fixed upon me, or any mocking laugh falls upon your ear, have you not an arm to strike the insolent one down P—or cannot that hand of yours pull the pistol’s trigger in a sterner encounter still? Itis not Edwin St. Clair who would be at a loss for the means to avenge any slight or insult that might be offered to the woman whom he chose to make his wife !” “ All this would be very well, Zarab,” responded St. Clair sarcastically, “if we were living in thosa times of chivalry when I might buckle on my armour to defend the fair fame of my ladye-wife. Bet unfortunately for your cause the days of — Se ee me ae & ree ee ase eer eee eee 269 chivalry are gone; and I am no Don Quixote to do deeds of knight-errantry in vindication of a Zarah the gipsy who would fain place herself in the position of a Dulcinea del Toboso.” “Even if I had been inclined to waver or to yield in my original resolution,” answered Zarab, “this sarcastic language of your’s would for very spite’s sake strengthen me in my determination. Learn therefore, Edwin St. Clair, that my resolve is fixed! Make me your wife, and I will do my duty towards you: but refuse, and the whole fabric of your fortune, your brilliant position, and your fame shall crumble around you, overwhelming you with its ruins—and I the authoress of this whole- sale desolation !” There was a pause of nearly a minute; and then I heard St. Clair ask in a low hoarse voice, “ But is it possible, Zarah, that knowing, as you fancy, enough to work me all this tremendous mischief,—knowing, in short, what I am”—and here his accents grew even more concentrated in the intenseness of the feeling which they ex: pressed,—“is it possible I ask that with all this knowledge of my antecedents you would venture to become my wife, even if I myself were willing P” “ Tt is possible!” replied Zarah: “nay, more— of all these things have 1 thought, and I am re- solved to dare and venture whatsoever 7 “ Pause! reflect!’ interrupted St. Clair: “speak not hurriedly! You know me well—you know me to be a man who will hesitate at nothing to clear his path of obstacles, or to fight his way desperately amidst the perils which beset him. Beware therefore how you persevere in this mad design of your’s—how you insist upon forcing yourself upon me as a wife !” “The warning is unnecessary,’ responded Zarah, again speaking with calmness ; “ and every additional word you use to divert me from my purpose, is so much waste of breath. Once for all i “Then by heaven !” cried St. Clair, now again giving way to his fury, “ you may do your worst ! What! render myself ridiculous before all the world—cut myself out of society—expose myself to the laugh of scorn and contempt! No! sooner would I dare all that you can do!—sooner would I speed to the nearest bridge and fling myself thence as a suicide !” “Iam not to be deterred by any such threats as these,” answered Zarah. ‘I have no fear that Edwin St. Clair will take any steps so desperate. His egotism and his selfishness are too great to render him a subject for the catalogue of suicides, But this argument has lasted long enough * ** Yes—too long!” ejaculated St. Clair, fiercely. “ Farewell, Zarah—and do your worst !” Thus speaking, he rushed to the door—opened it—and issued from the apartment. Zarah made no movement and said not a word to detain him. He closed the door violently ; and I half emerged from my hiding-place, saying, “ You have failed, Zarah—you have failed!. Now what will you do ?”? “T have won—I have conquered !” she quickly responded, her countenance lighting up with the glow of enthusiastic triumph. “ Oh, I know that man well! He will return in a few moments-—— he is only doing this to try me. If I had rushed after him and sought to detain him, it would have a (et SSS senses hens ere re ne Com 6)(6)(0) 6S Com