Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 139: what you’re looking at

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

| turer, in a faltering tone, “ you do not suspect the extent to which mv affairs are involved. The loss of my factory, with all the goods it contained, was equivalent at least to eighty thousand pounds: the failure of the American house involved me to the extent of seventy thousand pounds; and there are two other houses which having been ruined by that same stoppage, are now unable to meet their en- gagements with me. In a word, Miss Percy, when everything has been taken by my creditors, the whole of my liabilities will yet remain unsettled ! In such circumstances what hope does there exist for my family P” “Do you not believe, Mr. Macdonald,” I asked, ** that where misfortunes are unavoidable, and have not been brought down by any fault on the part of the sufferer, it is probable that heaven may send assistance in some form or another P” “Tf heaven sent assistance at all, Miss Percy,” replied the manufacturer, “it would be through the medium of an angel, like yourself! And Oh! believe me, I thank you—cordially and sincerely thank you for the sympathy which you are dis- playing towards me!” “Mr. Macdonald,” I answered, “I have every reason to experience a feeling of friendship for you. You know how I am situated with my cousin; and therefore all the sense of obligation which he harbours towards you is shared by myself. You took the fatherless youth by the hand and gave him the means of earning his bread: you were kind to his mother, my own revered aunt :— when she died, you came forward as the adviser and the consoler—you showed confidence in Henry, when still a mere youth—you despatched him to Awerica—in a word, Mr. Macdonald i “Why recapitulate this, Miss Percy?” said the worthy manufacturer, wiping away the tears from his cheeks. “I only performed a Christian duty ; and if I had the same opportunities, and the same circumstances were to arise, I would pursue the Same course over again. Ah, Miss Percy! I have studied to be a kind husband, a good father, and a stanch friend—I have never wilfully injured any one—and yet in my old age misfortunes enter my house like a ravaging army!” “Oh, my dear uncle!” exclaimed Alexander Graham, clasping his hands and giving way to his affliction. “No, no!” I interjected, “do not despair! Be- lieve me, Mr. Macdonald, things are not so bad as you apprehend! Indeed, your wife and family will not miss a single comfort’ which they have hitherto enjoyed!—your own credit, Mr. Macdo- nald, will be saved—and Henry will at the same time and for the same reason be spared ie “Miss Percy, what mean you? what mean youP” asked the manufacturer, surveying me with bewilderment,—instinctively prompted to hope for something, yet daring not to give way to so wild anidea. “It is kind—most kind of you to shape in the form of assurances the wishes of your heart! But, alas Ke “Uncle!” ejaculated Alexander Graham, with a species of prophetic enthusiasm on his good- looking countenance, “do not despond! Rest as- sured that Miss Percy has come hither for some purpose, and that she is the angel whom heaven has sent to raise you up in the hour of your bitter need |” ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. My heart was swelling with emotions: the tears were flowing down my cheeks, I had been en. deavouring to break gradually that intelligence which I feared to communicate too abruptly; and now, unable any longer to restrain my feelings, [ gave vent to them amidst broken murmurs and gasping sobs—saying, “ You are saved, excellent man! you are saved !—you who took compassion upon my fatherless cousin, heaven has now taken compassion on you—and I the humble instru- ment !” The manufacturer was quivering with suspense as well as with other emotions: he saw that some stupendous change was about to take place in hig position—but he scarcely comprehended what. My father now handed me some papers from his pocket-book; and proffering them to Mr. Macdo- nald, I said, “ Here my dear sir, are cheques, bills, and bank receipts, for the sum that will redeem you. Take it—it is yours !” The manufacturer gazed upon me for a moment in stupid astonishment: then bursting into tears, he turned round to his desk, buried his face in his hands, and wept aloud. As for Alexander Graham, he staggered against the wall; and there he likewise wept profusely. Need I say that my father was deeply affected—or that I experienced one of the most delicious moments of my lifeP And now, all of a sudden, Mr. Macdonald, starting up from his seat at the desk, took the bank-receipts and other securities which I had brought with me from London: he hurriedly glanced over them—he scanned them with the keenest, most eager scrutiny, yet with a feverish celerity :—he was evidently taking the step to convince himself that it was not a dream, but that it was a reality! And when he found that it was really no vision, but that the money was there— bills, cheques, and bank-receipts, representing the vast sum which would reinstate his credit in a mo- ment—he sank on his knees at my feet, exclaiming with the very wildness of passionate joy, “ Yes— you are an angel! You have saved me! But, Oh! upon what terms dare I accept this amount P” “On your own terms,” I answered, my voice still tremulous; for I was yet revelling as it were in the luxury of performing a good action of such stupendous magnitude. “I shall take no ac- knowledgment at your hands—not a line of writ- ing shall pass between us! Rise, Mr. Macdonald, I beseech you!” He pressed my hand to his lips: he rose up from his suppliant posture ; and said, “ But years must elapse before I could ever hope to pay this money back again! years must even elapse before I can make a beginning! No, no, Miss Perey—I must not take such a sum as this! I knew that you were rich—Henry told me so: but such an amount as that—why, it must be all your for- tune !” “ Mr. Macdonald,” I said, “ that money is ins tended for your use, and you will receive it. Let me deal candidly with you, for I am not quite so much the angel as you think ; but you will find that there is a vast amount of the selfishness of the human being in my conduct. Henry would die of a broken heart if the disgrace of your failure redounded upon himself! I love Henry— and I would rather sacrifice all my fortune that he should live to make me some day a happy bride, ECOLMIECLOOOKS (El)