Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 60: what you’re looking at

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

teenie ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. 4,7 “Lady Lilla,’ I interrupted her, somewhat haughtily, or at least coldly, “it,is neither con- | curiosity which had seized upon me—“ there is sistent with my ideas of propriety nor with the | nothing between myself and Captain St. Clair.” actual state of circumstances, to listen to a dis-; “Nothing?” she said, again looking at me in- course upon Captain St. Clair’s character ” jeredulously.’” Ob, then! there has been? Per- “T understand !” ejaculated her ladyship: and | haps you have rejected him! Ah! that tell-tale an expression of mingled scorn and hate for an | blush confirms the idea! My dear Ellen, even instant appeared upon her countenance—curling | though St. Clair should affect to bid you farewell her lips of vivid vermilion, and flashing in her eyes | for ever, yet rest assured that he will return!—you of beautiful blue: but as that expression almost | are too beautiful and too innocent for him to de- immediately passed away, she took my hand, and sist from the hope of conquest! You must be put with the sweetest, most captivating, most winning upon your guard, for fear lest pardon the ex- smile, said, “Permit me, Miss Percy, to be your | pression! for fear lest, [ say, you should be- friend!—permit me to act as such! I have no ‘come his victim!” difficulty in comprehending that Captain St. Clair; I shuddered as these words were uttered with has spoken to you prejudicially of me, Yes—I | the strongest emphasis that the naturally musical see by your countenance that it is so! But he | voice of Lady Lilla could impart to her language ; dares not—no, he dares not + and that fearful feeling of curiosity which had al- Lady Lilla suddenly stopped short; and I can | ready seized upon me, now deepened. scarcely describe the expression which for amo-, “Yes, his victim! I repeat!” continued Lady ment swept over her features. It was an expres- | Lilla; “his victim! I could tell you a tale But sion of mingled hate and defiance—but with some | I will not now! No { would not shock you other feeling blended, which I could not then un- | to such an extent! But still I must tell you derstand—a feeling which however seemed to me | enough to convince you of my sincerity, and to to be of a deeper and darker quality. I was prove to you Ais consciousness of darkest, deepest almost frightened : for again did I remember the | villany. Should he seek you again—should he expression of her countenance when St. Clair first breathe the language of love in your ear—make use made his appearance ; and it did me harm to think | of a talisman which will send him in affright and that one so exquisitely beautiful could have her /|in horror from you. Thereis that camelia in your features actually distorted by the strong passions , hair if that surged up within—and that one, who in her| “The camelia?” I ejaculated, astonished at ordinary moments had the face of an angel, could | what appeared to be the sudden flying-off at a with those eyes and lips, and those perfect con- | tangent from a subject fearfully serious to one tours of profile, take the aspect of a fiend. ludicrously frivolous in comparison. “ Miss’ Percy,” she continued, “ pardon this| “Attend to me!” continued Lady Lilla Hssen- emotion: but if you knew all that I know | dine, still with a most impressive earnestness. And you must know it! for I see that St. Clair is | “If St. Clair should again accost you with the weaving his spells around you; and though you | language of love this evening, take that camelia may as yet have escaped their influence—though | from your hair—present it to him suddenly—and you may be even to a certain extent unconscious demand of him, ‘ Do you recognise the symbol? that these fascinations are at work to enmesh you| —Or if at any other time or place he should —yet be not tco confident !—and at all events | henceforth accost you, snatch up a flower from the suffer yourself to be placed upon your guard! {1/| nearest vase if it be in a room—or pluck one, if it declare unto you that my only object is to serve | be in the garden or the field—and while presenting you as a friend!” it put the same question! Oh! you will judge There was something so apparently sincere— | by the effect whether there be not some ghastly something which I believed to be so candidly | meaning attached to it!—a meaning which would earnest in Lady Lilla’s look and language, that I | shock your soul with the idea of espousing one lost sight of the injunction of St. Clair not to | whom such a sinister mystery enshrouds !” heed what fell from her lips. Besides, I must| I listened with a sort of consternation to this confess that though I considered everything be- | singular language,——a language which appeared to tween myself and St. Clair to be utterly at an end, | be filled with the wildest horror of a romance. I as indeed I wished it to be,—yet the conversation | longed to ask questions—but dared not: there was was now assuming a sort of fearful interest. I | something in the whole scene which filled the mind therefore listened, and lingered in the room. with the stupor of awe. “Captain St. Clair,” continued Lady Lilla, “No more at present, my dear Ellen!” said “ conceals beneath that exquisite polish of manner | Lady Lilla Essendine. “And remember—it is a heart capable of every atrocity. Believe me that | under the seal of inviolable secresy that 1 have itis so! Perhaps he has told youthatI hate him; | been speaking! Not a syllable of all this to any perhaps he has said thisin order to account for the | of your friends! You have now the power to fact that we spoke not to each other when we acci- } put St. Clair to the test; and if he should perse- dentally met here to-night. But if I detest him it | cute you with his addresses, you have a talisman is on account of that wickedness of which he has | to make him flee from your presence. Compose been guilty,and which has come to my knowledge. | your looks—compose your feelings likewise—and Listeo, Miss Percy—listen my dear Ellen! for we | let us return to the ball-room.” must be friends; and when you come to know me Lady Lilla ceased speaking: but she lingered better you will wonder that even for an instant |in the apartment for a few minutes, in order, no you could have mistrusted my motives—as I see | doubt, to afford me leisure to tranquillize myself. that you have done.” I felt the necessity to do so to the utmost of my “ But I assure your ladyship,” I interrupted her | power: for at any instant other guests might enter awe eee ee mm ae Os —for it struck me I had no right to give way to the a CONNIE IOOKS Com