Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 203: what you’re looking at

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

190 betwixt Beatrice and myself—that there was no longer between us the same friendship as hereto- fore; for she stood an altered being in my eyes. I regarded her as the accomplice of Ludovico Ma- rano! She, on her own side, seemed to understand what must be passing in my mind; for on enter- ing the drawing-room, she looked sound timidly at me, and then she flung her arms about my neck, exclaiming, “Oh! is there any loss of friendship between us?” “ Beatrice,” I said, in a cold voice, as I disen- gaged myself from her embrace, “1 now compre- hend it all! The beardless countenance of Signor Marano and the cropped hair tell the tale only too legibly! The vindictiveness must have been ter- rible which could thus triumph over even all the personal vanity of a young man; and I know that this vengeance has been horrible!—for after all, notwithstanding his black and numerous crimes, Luigi has been rendered a victim !” “ A victim of what, Ellen?” said the Countess, looking at me with mingled deprecation and the pride of angry feelings. “A victim of misrepresentations,” I responded, “which never ought to be made even to a criminal —but which are doubly infamous when masked under the cloak of religion !” “Infamous?” echoed Beatrice. “Do you apply this term, Ellen, to Signor Marano ?” “Yes—to Signor Marano,” I rejoined. “Oh! do not think to trifle with me, Beatrice! I under- stand it all! The only wonder is that I did not comprehend it as the fearful drama was progress- ing !” “ And what do you understand? what do you conjecture, Ellen?” asked Beatrice, trembling and quivering, and evidently putting the question fo the purpose of ascertaining precisely how much I micht know, and to what extent either she herself or Ludovico Marano might be in my power. ** | fathom your purpose, Beatrice,” I responded, somewhat bitterly; “but still I will explain my meaning. There was a vengeance to be wreaked on Luigi by both of you!—vengeance on Marano’s part for the death of his cousin Angelo! vengeance on your part for the same cause, and likewise for the reason that he was the author of the whole dismal tragedy at the Chateau of Carboni! I do not wonder that the hearts of both of you should have yearned for vengeance: that was natural enough !—but Oh! the vengeance itself ought to have been of a legitimate character! Let me ana- lyze the circumstances. I came to you one day, and I told you two distinct things. The first was that Luigi could not be convicted of a capital crime in the case of Mrs. St. Clair; and the second was that our evidence would not be sufficient to condemn him for the assassination of your hus- band. You feared that he would escape the gal- lows ; and to the gallows you were determined to send him. How did events progress? Signor Marano was present on the occasion—the news- paper arrived—and you read therein that Luigi, either in his remorse or his hypocrisy, had asked for a priest. The circumstance gave Signor Marano an idea which I can only characterize as horrible and hideous—an idea such as an Italian vengeance could alone dream of !” “ Ellen !” ejaculated Beatrice, her countenance ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS, flushing and her eyes flashing with anger. “ Ellen!” she repeated, but deprecatingly and en- treatingly. “Oh! I will do you no harm, Beatrice !” I said. “You know that I have had the opportunity of doing you so much good in my time, that I should now be sorely grieved to injure you! But still you shall hear me while I prove that I have fathomed all the purposes of your soul !—and this shall be your punishment! Yes—well do I re« member how ominously pensive was Signor Ma- rano on that occasion when he learnt from the columns of the Morning Post that Luigi had de- manded a priest. And moreover, did I not by ac- cident catch the vindictive words which he uttered ? —those words the significancy of which I now see that you yourself must have only too well under- stood, and which involved a scheme of vengeance as dark as any Italian imagination could have con- ceived! And that very day, within two or three hours of the resolve being taken, aid Ludovico Marano present himself as a priest at the House of Detention; and he persuaded Luigi that con- fession would obtain a mitigation of the punish- ment. So the man confessed that crime which could not otherwise have been brought home to him I mean the assassination of your hus. band !” ** And do you regret,’ demanded Beatrice, some- what sarcastically, “that a murderer should have been thus punished P” “No, Beatrice,” I solemnly answered: “I do not regret that a murderer should have been pun- ished; but I deplore that the vilest of agencies should have been used for the purpose: I lament that in order to bring one criminal effectually to justice, zo other persons should likewise have ren- dered themselves criminal! And Oh, Beatrice! now I full well understand why you were confused —why you spoke strangely to me, when you came to tell me the particulars of Luigi’s trial—and why you also suppressed a circumstance at the time !” “And that circumstance?” demanded Beatrice quickly. “You told me that on receiving sentence,” I continued, “the miserable wretch fell down on his knees and implored mercy on the ground that he had made a full confession. You told me likewise that when the judge shook his head and declared that the criminal could expect no mercy he gave vent to an appalling cry. But then you did zot add that the criminal demanded mercy as aright on the ground of his confession—and that thus vociferating, he was hurried away from the dock. You feared lest by your manner you should betray something! I subsequently read that incident in the newspapers; but I thought little of it at the time, because my sus- picions were very far from being excited in refer- ence to yourself and Signor Marano. Now, how- ever, | comprehend everything. Yes!—and the proceedings at the Coroner’s Inquest—the testi- mony of the turnkeys—prove how Luigi had been buoyed up by the hope of pardon until the very last! Who thus buoyed him up? Marano, in the guise of a priest!—Marano who doubtless told him that he had interest sufficient to obtain a reprieve!—Marano who was thus executing a cold-blooded vengeance,—exciting the wretch with false hopes in order that he might enjoy the mo- Gomichboo