Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 122: what you’re looking at

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ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. sessed as many thotsands as you possessed hun- dreds, you would still have owed an immense obligation to my brother for having given you his name. So now, my good girl, take my advico— drop the Lady Frederick Ravenscliffe — become plain Juliet Norman once more ” “Ah, my lord!” exclaimed Juliet bitterly, “ if you knew everything, perhaps you would not proffer this advice, because you would conceive that I should be only too glad to adopt such a course of my own accord! Yes, my lord—I say if you knew all,” continued Juliet, with increas- ing bitterness, “ you would not think any honour has been conferred on me by the bestowal of the name of Ravenscliffe !” “ Juliet, enough!” I said, stepping forward, and laying my hand upon her shoulder: “ that solemn secret must be religiously kept!” “Ah! a secret?” said the Viscount: “ what mean you?”—and his curiosity was now evidently piqued. * A secret, my lord,” answered Juliet, “the pro- clamation of which would fill the minds of all the members of your family with consternation and horror! Therefore be you upon your guard, my lord—let all the members of your family likewise be upon their guard, how they goad, taunt, or aggravate me——” “Enough, I say, Juliet! enough!” I ex- claimed. “ By heaven, there is some mystery in all this!” cried the Viscount, now looking anxious and full of suspense, —“ a mystery which must be fa- thomed! Speak, Lady Frederick $< “Ah! you give me my proper title now,” ejacu- lated Juliet, with a certain air of triumph. “ But no, my lord—I will not speak! The secret to which I allude is mine, to be disposed of as I think fit—to be treasured up or to be proclaimed according to circumstances “i * But if there be any mystery attached to my unfortunate brother,” said the Viscount, perplexed, afflicted, and even frightened, ‘‘I beseech you to reveal it. Yes—there must have been a mystery in his life—perhaps also in his death!—for it was not natural, that complete seclusion into which he retired—that sudden abandoning of himself to a ecientific pursuit for which no one had ever pre. viously heard that he had any taste 4 * T would advise you, my lord,” I said, “ to ab- stain from seeking to penetrate into these myste- ries. Let it be suflicient for you to learn that if you or any of your family attempt to throw the slightest slur upon my friend Lady Frederick Ravenscliffe, she has it in her power to take a signal vengeance by making a frightful exposure —which as a matter of course she would be ex- ceedingly loth to do, as a blight would thus be thrown upon the memory of her own husband. But still, if in self-defence she be compelled to snatch up such a weapon za At this moment there was a knock at the door of the apartment: I suddenly ceased speaking— and Juliet, who was nearest to the door, opened it, “Please, your ladyship,” said the hostess of the little establishment, “a gentleman of the name of Singleton begs for the honour of an interview. He is a surgeon living near Dover ? “Ab! ejaculated Juliet. “ Yes—let Mr. Sin- 109 gleton be introduced :”— then as the landlady re- tired, Juliet said to the Viscount, “ Perhaps your lordship will presently signify to me by means of a letter or message what steps are to be taken to. wards the interment of your deceased brother >” Viscount Ravenscliffe was evidently about to give sume answer ; but at that moment the door again opened, and Mr. Singleton made his ap. pearance. The Viscount bowed and withdrew ; and the surgeon, shaking hands with Juliet and myself, said in a voice of condolence and sympathy, “Tt is a remarkable coincidence which brought me this evening into this neighbourhood.” “You have only just arrived, then ?” I said, in- quiringly. “T have only just arrived at this inn,” an- swered Mr. Singleton. “A relative of mine, living at some little distance, has been taken very ill—I was summoned from River—I reached his house at about two this afternoon—the rumour of the tragedy at Willowbridge Manor was wafted thither—and I deemed it my duty to come and offer my condolences to Lady Frederick Ravens- cliffe.” Juliet expressed her gratitude; and then she said, “ You, Mr. Singleton, know everything— Ellen has already told me so—I mean the terrible fact of the brand that was impressed upon his brow—that mark which rendered him a second Cain upon the earth—which drove him almost to madness a “ Juliet, Juliet,” I said, “ do not thus refer to the past! Console her, Mr. Singleton—console her!” I added; and I then hastened from the room. I must explain this abrupt departure. It struck me that I heard a strange sound, as if of a half-suppressed ejaculation, coming from the land- ing outside at the moment when Juliet with a revival of bygone passion had spoken of the brand impressed upon her deceased husband’s brow. A suspicion at once seized upon me ; and I therefore hurried from the room in the manner I have just described. As I opened the door of the apartment, the door of a room opposite was at the same instant closing. I shut the door of the room from which I was issuing ; and then I beheld the door opposite slowly move upon its hinges. Some one looked forth : it was Viscount Ravenscliffe ! “Miss Percy,” he said, advancing upon the landing—and I saw that his countenance was as pale as death,—‘“ one word! I beseech you, one word in private !” I stepped forward to the door of his apartment —a glance flung into the interior showed me that it was a sitting-room—and I therefore hesitated not to enter it. “ Miss Percy,” continued the Viscount, in whose manner a complete change had taken place—for he looked distressed, affrighted, and humiliated,— “ Miss Percy, I know not how to preface what I have to say—I am cruelly embarrassed “ Perhaps I can assist you, my lord,” I said: and then after a pause, I added, not with the accents of inquiry, but in the manner of an accu- sation,—“ You listened at the door of the opposite apartment !” “TI confess it, Miss Percy—I confessit! Tae truth is, the last words that were spoken in that SS (EO) 0)(0/(0)