Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 91: what you’re looking at

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

ey er re EE EET ES Senn: geen cepa, Rec OE A ee tty e-News mst ee . ‘ ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. 78 at the same moment,--I to enter upon my jour- ney back to the metropolis—-Henry to repair to his employer’s establishment to receive the part- ing instructious before he set out on his Atlantic voyage. Yes—the moment of separation arrived ; and as we looked at each other, we both compre- hended that our hearts were making the strongest efforts to keep hack an outburst of the feelings and avoid the aggravation of our mutual pangs. Then over the quivering lips of the noble-hearted Henry a soft smile broke; and in the deep earnest eyes -——those handsome brown eyes which in my ima- gination had elsewhere often looked upon me—a high and holy lustre appeared to shine; and never upon female ear came a sweeter music of the mas- culine voice than when he said, in a tone that was nevertheless half-hushed and low, “ Were it not, Ellen, for the one hope that cheers me, I. could not endure this separation !” The tears started from my eyes; and my hand, which he had taken in his, was as tremulous as the heart which was palpitating in my bosom. My cheeks were blushing: but I did not cast down my looks—for I had no false shame nor prudery in acknowledging by those looks that I loved him, and that his love was as much a sustaining hope to me as it was to himself. “ Were it not, Hilen, that we are about to part,” he continued, “ L would not so soon after my ter- rible bereavement address you in such a strain. But, Oh! I feel that my sainted mother is looking down and smiling upon us now! For of an even- ing, when my work of a day was over, and we sat together in this little parlour, she would often say what happiness it would be for her if she could have both of us with her, and that you, Hiilen, should have no need to earn your own live- lihood elsewhere. I did not then comprehend the full meaning of my mother’s words; but now I understand it all! And thus, Ellen, in plighting our faith to each other we are fulfilling a wish that my deceased parent cherished; and there is no hat in the language in which I am addressing yearns to invoke upon your head! to invoke all its mercies on your behalf! just before I left London. guage would be necessary to give them utterance. The words which I can command are poor and incomplete to form the blessings which my soul 1’? * And I, Henry, send up my prayers to heaven Success will attend you in your career,’ I continued, in tremulous and broken accents; “ for one so good and noble-minded as yourself cannot fail to pros- per.” We were both weeping: I sank upon his breast —and he bestowed the parting kisses upon me. We separated:—and it seemed as if a veil—a veil of stupendous darkness—had suddenly fallen upon my eyes and shut out the sunlight from my vision. —_——— CHAPTER XVI. EMBLEDON. Amipst the thoughts which occupied me during the first part of my journey homeward, were the recollections of the scenes which had taken place I allude to the mar- riage’ of Juliet with Lord Frederick Ravenscliffe, and all the misgivings that had filled my mind in respect to Mr. Croft. Mrs. Norman had informed me that he held the curacy of Embledon--a village in Warwickshire; and I was to pass through that county on my way back to London. IL had in the first instance resolved, when questioning Mrs. Norman relative to Mr. Croft, to make some secret inquiries with regard to him; searching for his name. funds; and a waste of a few hours or the expen- and my original idea was to take the earliest opportunity of procuring some Clerical Directory or Guide and ~ But now that I was about to enter the very county in which he was represented as residing, I deemed it more expe- dient to institute personal inquiries on the point. My time was my own—I had an ample supply of diture of a few extra pounds were matters of ne consequence to me. Besides, being in mourning for my deceased aunt, I could not immediately resume my theatrical engagement; and thus I was in no immediate hurry to get back to the you.” “There i is no harm, Henry,’ I murmuringly re- sponded; “and rest assured that your image shall alone occupy any heart—and when you return to England “Oh, Hilen!” he exclaimed, “the separation thourch ‘but for a few months, appears to be an age !”—- and it was like a broken outery that his voice thus sounded upon my ears, tremulous and wild, and full of the mournfullest music. I endeavoured to give some consolatory re- sponse: but my own voice was lost in the sobs that were convulsing my bosom. ** May all possible happiness attend you, dearest Ellen, while I am away!” nS continued, in a softer and more collected tone; “and wher we meet again, it may perchance be with a prospect of soon being united, no more to separate. And then— Oh! then, Ellen, I shall become the guardian of your happiness ; ‘and rest assured that it will be in good keeping! So far as that happiness depends upon me, believe me—QOh! believe me that the corroding lines of sorrow shall never mar the Smoothness of that pure brow of thine; nor from those sweet eyes shall word or deed on my part ever call forth a tear. I feel, Hllen, as if my lips had so many things to express that a new lan- me es ere metropolis. It was in the evening when [ reached Birming- ham; and having ascertained that Embledon was about twenty miles distant from that great manu- facturing town, I took up my quarters at a hotel” for the night. On the following morning I entered a chaise and set out for Embledon; for I should observe that at the hotel L was unable to ebtain any information relative to the name of the minis- ter holding the curacy of the village to which [ was now repairing. At the next town to that village I renewed my inquiry—but still without receiving an answer which might have tbe effect of preventing me from continuing my journey any further in that direction. Embledon, it appeared, was a small, isolated, out-of-the-way place; and all that was known at the town to which I have just alluded was that a new curate had been recently appointed at the village, but his name I could not learn, I therefore continued my way to Embledon; and in due time I obtained from the brow of a COnnicloool< - + a ee eee eee eee — { | l com