Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 180: what you’re looking at

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ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. believe that I narrated it all to you one night ina private bos ——” “Yes,” I said: “Iremember. But do you not happen to know whether Miss Churchill lives with her family—father, mother, brothers, and sisters Fe « T know absolutely nothing about her,” inter- rupted Mr. Richards; and [ felt convinced he was speaking the truth. young lady— quiet, modest, and well-behaved ; and really there was not the slightest ground for the base insinuations thrown out by Miss Harrison! Duprez was very indignant i “ By the bye,” I said, “you know, I believe, where Miss Churchill lives ?” “ Ah, I understand you, Miss Trafford !” ejacu- lated Mr. Richards; “your good heart is ever prompting you to act kindly towards your fellow- creatures. You think that poor Miss Churchill may require the consolations of friendship after the gross insult she has received “ “But if I were to take it into my head to call upon her,” I interjected, “ you will keep the matter secret, Mr. Richards P” “Why, of course!” he exclaimed. “It would not do for Miss Trafford the great tragedian, courted and looked up to as she is—more thought of than any peeress in the land—a lady riding in her own carriage—to be suspected of making calls upon a ballet-dancer. No! no! Do you pursue your charitable course; and rest assured that the secret shall be well kept by me.” As the reader may thoroughly understand, no- thing was further from my purpose than to con- sult my pride in the matter; and indeed I had no such pride at all; for it was scarcely an hour since I had determined upon making friends with the ballet-dancer and inviting her to my house. But I suffered Mr. Richards to remain under this de- lusion, because I did not wish him to mention that I had in any way questioned him in reference to Angeline Churchill, for fear lest it should reach her ears that I had been making inquiries con- cerning her. “ Ah!” I said, “you have now forgotten to tell me where she lives.” “Oh! that information can be soon supplied,” ejaculated the lessee; “ for I think I have already told you that very shortly after Miss Churchill obtained an engagement at the theatre, she volun- tarily gave me her address, in case she might be at any moment wanted. Have the goodness to step with me as far as myroom. I know the address is somewhere in Long Acre—but I have forgotten the number.” I accompanied Mr, Richards: he seated him- self at his desk, which was completely smothered with correspondence, playbills, manuscripts of dramas, and documents of various descriptions. But still there was a certain order in all this seeming confusion; for he was aman of method and regularity—and it was owing to these qualities, as well as to the vast sums which I had been the means of bringing into his treasury, that he kept his head so well above water while so many other theatres were continuously entailing bankruptcy upon their lessees. He therefore knew in a mo- ment where to lay his hand upon his address-book ; and he copied upon a slip of paper the abode of Angeline Churchill. _~— = 167 —— ee —— I now at once returned home to Great Ormond Street, having made up my mind how to act. I had simply promised Angeline that the scene which had occurred betwixt us should remain a _secret; but I had not pledged myself to abstain from making any inquiries concerning her. These inguiries I was resolved to institute; and in this course I was impelled by no mere idle curiosity— “She seems to be a very nice | on the contrary, I was anxious to ascertain if there were any ground for the supposition that she had ever sustained any ill at my hands, or if any cir- cumstances could by a possibility have led her to such @ belief. For I could not rest easy under the imputation; and I was determined to satisfy myself whether it were the raving of a mono- maniac, or whether in perfect saneness she might be labouring under some deplorable error. The point once ascertained, I should know how to act, If by any chance an unremembered inadvertance, or an involuntary act of unkindness on my part, had directly or indirectly furnished ground for the accusation, I was resolved to study the best means of making ample atonement: but if it should prove on inquiry that in some aberration of intel- lect she had formed erroneous and delusive notions with regard to me, I would do my best to disabuse her. Accordingly, on reaching Great Ormond Street, I once more had recourse to my faithful fairy-like Beda. I simply told her that I had reasons for instituting particular inquiries in respect to a cer- tain person: and the girl never displayed any curiosity, or asked more than I chose to tell her. I bade her use the utmost discretion and tact in performing the part entrusted to her. [ inti- mated that there was some one who lived in de- pendence upon Miss Churchill; I kuew not who this some one could be—but could only presume that it was a parent, or a young brother or sister. I instructed Beda to commence her inquiries in the evening when Angeline should be at the theatre; and I gave the faithful girl the address which I had received from Mr. Richards, It was not my evening to appear at the theatre; but I accompanied Mary Glentworth. When we returned home, I retired to my chamber almost immediately; for I was anxious to learn the result of Beda’s expedition. It was completely unsatis- factory. ‘‘f went to Long Acre, as indicated on the slip of paper,” she said; “and I passed by the house specified as Miss Churchill’s address. It is a small jeweller’s shop. I presently entered, and inti- mated to an old man who stood behind the counter a a a that [ wished to make asmall purchase. He showed — me some lockets which I asked for: I bought one —and as I paid the price, I inquired, as if casu- ally, whether he knew of any cheap and respectable lodgings to be let in Long Acre? He reflected for a few moments, and then said that he did not; but that doubtless in some of the neighbouring streets I should find what I required. I then said that it struck me I had once seen a bill announcing lodg- ings to let in his window. He assured me that I must be mistaken—for that he never let lodgings: he had been in the house twenty years, and had occupied it solely for the use of his family and two or three workmen, as he was a working jeweller. I was already prepared with fresh observations in case of emergencies: but in order to avert suspi- COA eiook (E@)