Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 391: what you’re looking at

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

378 unparalleled villany! Does not such a deed as this ‘demand vengeance P” “Vengeance P” echoed the young noblemen, ter- ribly agitated and excited, ‘ Beware of what you are doing, Mr. Gower! I know that my sin is great; but the law permits noé you to avenge it !” | “Talk not to me of the law !” said the bereaved father,—“ you who have trampled upon every law, moral, religious, and divine !” sf Bat IT am innocent !” I exclaimed, springing forward to throw myself at Mr. Gower’s feet: “ you cannot accuse me of any wilful wrong perpetrated } m towards your daughter! I have pitied her—God knows that I have pitied her! And now f could weep for her fate! And, O Lord Frederick ! your’s has indeed been a terrible sia—a heinous . crime !—and I Joathe you—I hate you! Monster of a man that you are !—and to think that you should be the husband of my friend !” “ Yes—the husband of your friend,” said Mr. Gower in a tone of the bitterest reproach; “ and made so by your coercive influences !” “T will not remain here!” cried Lord Frederick, who now seemed perfectly wild with horror, shame, remorse, and apprehension. “J willgo! I imsist that this door shall be opened—oy I eit beat it down !” He threw himself violently against it; but it withstood the shock. Then he pushed towards the window, exclaiming frantically, “ I will ery for as- sistance !” “ Just heayens !” — murmured, “ what a scene for a chamber of death ! ak “ Dare not open your ejaculated Mr. Gone 3 or by the living God, I will stretch you dead upon the earpet at the foot of the eouech on which ies your Victina !” “Oh, this is fearful!” ¥ murmured, tottering to, a seat—for my brain was reeling, ag I caught sight of a brace of pistols whieh Mr. Gower suddenly produced and which he presented at the head of the young nobleman. Lord Frederick was appalled and stricken with dismay : he staggered back from the window to which he had rushed—no sound escaped his lips— he evidently felt that he was in the power of a des- perate man— and his spirit was utterly crushed within him. “ Now listen to me, both of you!” said Mr. Gower, in the stern voice of one who felt that he was enacting the part of a judge—self-constituted it is true, but for the time all-powerful—and about to pronounce sentence. “I do not seek your lives—they are safe! Do not think [I would have your blood upon my head! No, Frederick Ra- venscliffe—I am not a murderer as you have been! —you, a twofold murderer !—the murderer of her whom you made your victim !—the murderer of your child! Yes—by your conduct—so vilely treacherous, so unspeakably diabolic—have you committed this twofold murder! Keep your hor- rible reputation! God knows I seek not to emulate it There was a pause: it was an awful one. That desperate man sought not our lives: but he was evidently prepared to wreak some deadly ven- geance. What did he mean to do? * First of all,” he continued, “I will address myself to you, Miss Percy—for such I understand he ery for succour,” erate the chamber of death yon saw in Stratton Street. afiliction ; and a fiend has taken possession of my ‘soul ! ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. your real name to be. You compelled this man to espouse your friend—you therefore alienated from my daughter him who ought to have become her husband. Perhaps you were right in one re- spect: but still I cannot do otherwise than hate you. When I left your house the evening before last, I returned hither to find that all was over. My daughter had perished in giving birth to the offspring of her shame! ‘Then did I resolve to be avenged ; and within the same hour which erowned all my aflliction, I penned the letter which I knew would have the effect of bringing this guilty roan to London. On him a severe vengeance must be wreaked ! With regard to yourself, Miss Percy, my revenge is appeased in rendering you the spec- tatress of all that is now passing. Look, then, at that couch! Behold the eold remains of her who would have become this man’s bride, had you not interfered !” “Oh, Mr. Gower i exclaimed, bursting into tears, “this is most unjust on your part ! When I saw you in Stratton Street, you reproached me not—you acknowledged that I had acted rightly — you thanked me for the sympathy I displayed— you offered to introduce me to your daughter— and you assured me that even if Lord Frederick had not become the husband of another, he should not have led your daughter to the altar, Then why upbraid me now ?” “ Oh, because everything is so signally changed since then !” exclaimed Mr. Gower; “ for | knew not at the time the extent of the infernal wick- edness which this man had perpetrated towards my poor child———I knew nog that in every sense she was his Victiog Y “« And now, in the presence of the remains of your daughter, ” T hastily ejaculated, —“ through respect for her memory, I sanyure you not to dese- “ Silence, Miss Perey! You know not to whom you are speaking! J] am not the same man whom My form is altered by LE have sworn what to do—and I will do it. The moment for vengeance is come!” This last sentence he spoke in a loud voice : it was evidently the signal which the men outside on the landing had to obey. The door was opened; and they entered. Lord Frederick Ravenscliffe— no doubt agonized by the horrible uncertainty as to what terrific punishment might be in store for him—rushed towards the couch, as if that bed ‘itself on which reposed the remains of his victim aud his child, would afford him the protection of a sanctuary. But the two men seized upon him: he was as an infant in their powerful grasp. His | hands were bound behind him—a gaz was thrust into his mouth—and he was forced to sif down in a chair. All this was but the work of a few mo- ments ;—and the very instant that the young nobleman was thus seized upon, Mr. Gower rang a bell. Then there was a pause—another awful silence-—-which was broken by myself. My brain was reeling with indescribable borror and vague affright ; so that I have not now a clear recollec- tion of what I said to Mr. Gower; but I think that I must have addressed him somewhat in the following strain :— , “ Wor God’s sake reflect on what you are about todo! Ido not know what it is—but I feel that Gomicbvook com