Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 338: what you’re looking at

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em et fm mk ° — - at oe oe de . ELLEN PHROY; OR, TINH MARMOTRA OF AN AOTRMAS, union with the young nobleman, I told Beda that she was to accompany me: but Juliet did not take her own maid, for foar lost at River House the abigail might learn tho ciroumstancos under which her mistress had formerly visited it: whoreas on Beda’s discretion wo all know that wo might thoroughly rely—and sho had given mo so many proofs of sincerest dovotion that I could not bear to leave tho young girl behind me, Provious to our departuro—and whilo awaiting tho arrival of the postchaisos—I had an opportu- nity of spoaking to Juliot alono for a fow minutes, “It is a singular coincidence, my doar friend,” I said, “that within tho same hour which mado you a wife, you should havo it announced to you that you are an hoiross, I have overy hopo that by all combining oiroumstanceos Lord Frodorick will bo rendered an alterod man. Ho will now tool that to you ho is indobted for the moana of living in comfort and respectability; and it is fortunate that he should be more or less dependont upon you—that ho cannot mako away with your property—and that it ia all your own; for such a position will not be rendered humiliating by you, and will therefore inapiro him with gratitude towards yourself as tho source of those compotont means,” “T am delightod to hear you apoak thus, dearost Rilon,” said Lady Frodorick Ravonsoliffo; “ for I value your opinion so highly that to mo it is fraught with all tho power of prophecy. Oh, yos! I believe and trust that Iredorick ia not altogother bad—that his romorso is not a moro transient ebullition—but that the change which has evidently taken place within him will bo por- manent !”’ “And you know, doarost Juliot,” I rejoined, in mild and gontlo terms, “how much will now de- pend upon yourself in keeping your husband in the right path. No allusion to bygone ovonta—no word nor look that may ever mako him imagino that they hover in your momory——”’ "Ob, nol—-not for worlde!” oxolaimod Juliot. “T understand all this, dear Ellon, and I will try what love, affection, and kindness will produce upon the heart of him who has givon me a proud namo and who haa atoned for much of all his formor misdeeds!” Boda at this momont ontorod my chambor, where the preceding brief colloquy had takon place,—to announce that tho chaises wero in rea- diness. Juliot and I accordingly repnirod to tho drawing-room, whore wo found Lord Frederick conversing in a friendly mannor with Mr, and Mra, Norman—but yot with a oortain aubdued and constrained air, Ita causo [ thoroughly understood, It arose not from prido—neithor did it take its origin from any sorencss at tho mar- riage into which he had been forced: but it was the evidence of a mind not as yet altogethor at its ease in the presence of the parents of her whom a while back he had go cruelly wronged. This boar- ing on his part was atill more marked towards myself; for he had the guilty consciousness of tho black turpitude that he had accomplished towards me, and which was of 60 mean and base a charac- ter,—involving, as it did, embezzlement and com- plicity in a fraud of the most immoral and profli- gate description. But in proportion as ho thus = Ee TB ee a ee ee 5 8 owe — me t+ te Oe ee eee Ne LO! + oe Se eS 826 displayed his contrito fooling did L address him with kindness and friendly encouragement; for L considered that thia day constituted a now atart- ing point in his life, and that he had boen lifted up as ib wore by the hand of circumstances from an abyam into which he had fallen, to be placed upon level ground again, with tho fairoat possible chanco of atriking into a path which led to no precipicos nor pitfalla, Towards Juliet hia do- meanour was now affectionate, grateful, yot like. wiso tinctured with the ovidences of romorse and shamo: but she answered his observations with so much lively frankness and confiding familiarity that I saw sho was at onoo doing hor boast to elovato him in his own ostimation and mako him fool that botwoon the prosont and tho past a groat gulf had opened across which thore was no nood to fling reverting looks. All thoso traits did I notice during tho fow minutos that wo wore par- taking of somo slight refrosahment beforo wo do- sconded to take our sonts in the oquipapos, Lord Fredorick handed hia bride into ono: Mr, and Mra, Norman, Boda, and mysolf entered tho other; and thoy drovo away from Hunter Street, Mr. and Mra, Norman had now leisure to cons vorae with mo upon tho contonts of Mary Glent- worth’s lotter; for there had hithorto boon no time while wo wero yet at tho house to make many comments upon it, Tho only point of it on which we had previously apokon, was tho fact of my rolationahip to Mra, Oldoastle,—which until that day had romained a socrot. But I had ox- plained to thom how it oxistod and my reasons for hithorto concealing it,—those reasons being that it was nob my wish at the timo to say aught that would compel mo to allude to my father, Tho reader will comprehend that by tho fact of that rolationship of mine to the decoasod Mrs, Old- castle, there was somo little dogroo of aflinity bo- twoon mysolf and tho Normans; and this dis- covery ondeared mo, if possible, all the moro com. plotely to thom, But these wore subjocts which, as I havo anid, had beon briefly disoussod previous to our do- parturo from Hunter Stroot; and thoy wore not now renowed in Boda’sa presence, The points of Mary Glontworth’s letter which wo did at prosont discourse upon, were tho poor lady's doath and tho bequeathmonts sho had mado in hor will, Mr, and Mrs, Norman woro porfoctly woll satisfied that the bulk of Mrs, Oldeastle’s property should havo beon loft to thoir daughter, with only a moderato legacy to thomsolves; and thoy wero equally rejoiced that 1 should have beon so hand. somely romombored in the will. Though we wero caroful how wo spoke in Boda’s prosonco—for it was not necessary to initinto her into family socrotayot woe comprehonded each other woll onough upon alluding to Juliet’a horitago—an incident which we regarded as most providentially fortunato, happening as it did at the vory moment whon she was espousing a husband who could not from his own moans maintain hor. Woe stopped to dine at Chatham: but our halt was not long in that town, for wo wore anxious to got to our destination as soon as possible, for poor Mary Glontworth’s sake, as wo know that sho would bo anxiously expecting us. During this tomporary halt, however, L perceived with plea- guro and satisfaction that Lord and Lady Frede- COMMU ™ NOOK (COLUM