Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 307: what you’re looking at

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

ow 294, ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS, “Oh, indeed! is that the gipsy-bride P’” said | conversation grew more and more interesting to Lady Lilla Essendine: and her laugh rang mock- | themselves: then they passed us; but when in ingly with its silvery sounds through the air. front, they still remained for some few minutes Indescribable was the look of loftiest disdain | longer sufficiently near for the Countess and me which St, Clair for a moment flung upon them. | to catch all that they were saying. I will place There was no batred nor vindictiveness in that | upon record as much of their discourse as thus look: if seemed as if he could condescend to no- | reached our ears, _ thing so low or petty as those sentiments: if was “Well, never mind the folly of the thing,” said a proud sovereign scorn such as a monarch might} one of the two personages: “it suited us ex- have bestowed on the meanest of his subjects. No | tremely well to flatter St. Clair by overwhelming one, unacquainted with the secrets of their former | him with such marked civilities, and by paying connexion, would have for an instant suspected | such distinguished attention to his wife. It came that such had ever been the case. Bellew laughed | all the more opportune, immediately following on aloud : the silvery mocking laugh again rang from | the heels of that little scene—whicb, by the bye, the lips of Lady Lilla Essendine; and the eques- | St. Clair so loftily resented.” trian party dashed along upon its way. “And what good, my lord, do you expect,” Beatrice and myself were sufliciently near to | said the other individual, “will result from our distinguish everything that thus passed: but the | demeanour——” moment™the scene was over, [ turned abruptly “Why, my dear fellow, don’é you see?” ex- round, hurrying the Countess away in the opposite | claimed the first speaker, who was evidently a direction ; for I was already vexed with myself | nobleman, “ we are now sure of St. Clair! It is that I should have yielded to that momentary im- | of no use his affecting to ride the high horse—he pulse of curiosity, I cannot say that I actually | must feel that he bas placed himself in a false posi- pitied Zarah; for I knew full well that she pos-|tion.. Besides, as he hos married this gipsy sessed a strength of mind which would render her | through love, he will naturally be well pleased that scornfully indifferent to everything that had just | she should be received into the highest society. passed. For St. Clair I could of course have no | To-morrow I willinvite St. Clair to dinner; and commiseration: but still I should have been un- | her ladyship ’—thus alluding to his wife—* shall willing for him to suppose that I possessed a spirit | call upon Mrs, St. Clair.” mean or paltry enough to be there, looking on, for| ‘“ But do you really think it possible,” asked his the purpose of triumphing over him. However, | companion, “ that St. Clair is a man to be won I felt tolerably well persuaded that he had not | over by such means?” observed me; while, as for Zarah, she had neyer| “Iam convinced of it! At all events you shall once turned her head sufficiently to look behind | see. His independence of all party has hitherto her. rendered his opposition—when he has opposed us— “ Captain St. Clair,” said Beatrice, “is perform- | all the more powerful in its effects. You must un- ing a noble part- towards the wife wh» through | derstand, my dear fellow, that to gain him en: pure affection he has made the sharer 01 his for- | tirely to our side would be a great card in our tunes, Did you observe, my dear Ellen, the| hand. We might offer him a Treasury Secre- withering, blighting look of scorn which he flung | taryship—or the Vice-Presidency of the Board of upoa that lady and gentleman? Their conduct | Trade—or something of that sort. I will throw was indeed too bad; and I wonder that a person | out a hint when he dines with me ” of such an interesting appearance as that lady This was all of the discourse which reached’ the could have shown such bad taste and such un- | ears of the Countess of Carboni and myself: but charitable feelings. But see!” exclaimed Beatrice, | it was intelligible enough, Those were two Cabinet glancing back over her shoulder; “Czptain and | Ministers: the Cabinet itself was known to be Mrs. St, Clair are now engaged in conversation | tottering: public opinion declared that it would with a group of ladies and gentlemen, who are | be unable to meet Parliament at the next Session ; evidently treating them both with a marked dis- | and thus a very pretty little intrigue was just cet tinction,” ' afoot to strengthen the decrepit Ministry by means I also glanced back, and perceived that such | of the unquestionable talent and the brilliant was the case. I then recollected the observations | oratory of Edwin St. Clair. which Mr. Richards had made at the theatre—to “You have heard what has passed, my dear the effect that. while some persons would display a| Ellen?” said Beatrice, when the two Ministers mean and petty contempt for the alliance which | were beyond earshot. ‘“ Captain St. Clair’s mar- st, Clair had formed, others would court himself} riage will prove the making of him as a great and his bride from curiosity’s sake, as well as on | public character.” account of his own brilliant position in the world.| I gaye some casual reply: but I secretly said to I now saw that the lessee’s shrewd predictions | myself, “If St. Clair should trim his bark to the were receiving their fulfilment. At the very moment when I thus glanced back, two tall, elderly, and very distinguished-looking personages were parting from Captain and Mrs, St. Clair, — warmly shaking hands with the former, and with marked courtesy raising their hats to the latter. These two gentlemen came on, arm-in-arm, in the same direction which Beatrice and I were now pursuing. As they walked quickly, they soon overtook us: but they lingered a little while be- hing, slackening their pace in proportion as their reason to rejoice in his marriage with the obscure gipsy, rather than regard her as his bitterest foe— to persecute her—and. to strive to break her heart.” The Countess and I now re-entered the carriage ; and we left the Park. She took me as far as Hunter Street, where she set me down: and I bade her adieu. It was not until I found myself alone in my own chamber, that I recalled to mind the incident in respect to Luigi. Although the pre- sence of the Italian in the Park might have been i FY tide which now offers to waft it, he will have CORNEDOOKS Com