Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 215: what you’re looking at

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

. |] ne EE ————————————E—— anne nn eee nn nee ee ee eT TTT TTT i sss testes 202 single hope—to indulge not in a dream which can lead to naught but disappointment!” “My God, Miss Percy!” murmured Herbert, becoming deadly pale, and trembling visibly under the influence of his emotions: “you do not mean Oh, no! you cannot mean that she hates me!” ‘‘Ask me not fora single syllable of explana- tion,” I rejoined, cruelly bewildered how to act or what to say: “it is a subject which must never be revived again!—and you, my lord, ought not to have conie Diack to England so soon!” “ Miss Percy,” he said with a look and tone of the most mournful reproach, “such words from your lips? Ishould not have thought it! Doves it not seem as if providence itself had brought me back to Eogland at the time when my presence was to be needed at the couch of a suffering mother—perhaps at her death-bed os “True, my lord!” I said; humbled as well as pained by the reproach conveyed in the words which he had uttered. “I did not think of that circumstance at the moment! Indeed, I feel so confused and bewildered But tell me,” I abruptly ejaculated, by way of changing the con- versation, ‘how came you to burst into the room at such a moment?” | “Ob! 1 will tell you, Miss Percy,” exclaimed Herbert; “and you will not blame me. While my poor mother was being got to bed, my father and I were shown to the drawing-room you repaired with Mr. Singleton to another apart- ment. When my mother was undrest, a domestic came to inform us that we might proceed to her chamber. But as my father and I were travers- ing the landing, the lady’s-maid was opening the door of another apartment; and I heard Mr. Sin- gleton say that he would tell you all he kuew in reference to Mary Glentworth.” “Ah!” T ejaculated: “then my suspicion was correct! I fancied that you overheard something that was thus said ¥ “Yes,” continued Herbert: “and Ob! you may imagine Miss Percy, how excited at once grew my feelings—how ardent became my curi- osity! What, I asked myself, could Mr. Singleton have to tell you in reference to Mary which you knew not before? Ob! how I longed to watch and listen—to play the eavesdropper—to hide my- self behind a curtain or under a sofa—anywhere! so that I migtkt obtain an initiation into these mysteries! But I did nothing so unhandsome. I suspected that you were to have a private inter- view with Mr. Singleton; and I resolved that when it was over I wouldimplore you to admit me into your confidence, if this could be done without indiscretion. 1 therefore kept watch only so far as to ascertain when your next private in- terview with Mr. Singleton should be over. At length it terminated or at least I judged so, when I saw you upon the landing. I was about to accost you, but Mary was making her appear- ance, I retreated into the drawing-room until I had seen you both enter here together. Then I approached the door—I was about to open it— when words, which for the moment riveted me to the spot, caught my ear,—words which told me that all the previous supposition was wrong— that Mary is not my half-sister—that there is" no stigma upon her birth and then, wild with joy, I burst into this apartment !” a eee ELLEN PERCY ; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS, While the Marquis of Darymple was giving me thesé explanations in a hurried and excited man- ner, but in a subdued tone, I was still continuing my ministrations to Mary Glentworth. I was sprinkling water upon her countenance, chafing her hands, and putting back the luxuriant masses of her hair from about her forehead. She seemed to be giving sigus of reanimation—but they were faint and feeble; and I began to apprehend lest I should be compelled to send for the assistance of one of the female domestics. But this I was anxious to avdid, for I did not wish that the veil of secrecy, hitherto drawn over the present scene, should be lifted. | | “See, my lord—see,” I said, “ what your in- discretion hss done! You first of all give way to your curiosity—then you cannot curb your feel- ings—you burst abruptly into the room—and here is the consequence !” “Ah? do you apprehend any danger?” ex- claimed Herbert, with an anguished expression of countenance. “Oh for heaven’s sake let me hasten and fetch hither Mr. Singleton !” “What?” I said; “from the side of your mother’s couch?—that mother whose life may possibly depend upon the constant care and atten- tion of the medical attendant ?” “Oh!” exclaimed Hetbert, with wild vehemence of tone and impassioned gesture, “do I not love Mary as well as my mother? O God! I feel that both are equally dear to me!” “Speak not thus; niy lord,’ I said, with the most solemn emphasis: “for henceforth Mary Glentworth can be nothing more than a mere stranger to you! Believe me, lam telling you the truth !” “Ob, no! it cannot be!” ejactilated Herbert in accents still more impassioned than before : “it is impossible! Mary; Mary!” he continued, sinking upon his knees by the side of the sofa on which she lay; “speak to me, dearest!—tell me that I am not hateful to you! Open your eyes— look upon me Oh look upon me, dearest Mary! with those beautiful blue eyes of thine! Ob, you once loved me—and it is impossible that you can now hate me! Have mercy upon me, dearest Mary” He had taken her hand—he was pressing it to his lips—the tears were falling fast from his eyes and bathing that hand. It is bad enough to see & woman weep; but to behold a man dissolve in tears, is a spectacle calculated to melt the stesnest heart. I experienced an illimitable compassion for that unhappy young man: I felt the tears now trickling down my own cheeks. I essayed to speak—lI wished to conjure him to leave the apart- ment, for I thought that Mary would soon re- cover; but my power of utterance was choked. And now a deep convulsive sob came forth from Mary Glentworth’s throat, making her bosom heave and fall tumultuously; and the next in- stant, before I could stretch forth a hand to pre- vent it, Herbert’s arms were thrown about her neck. To my astonishment, Mary’s arms were flung round him in their turn; but it was with murmurings and moans expressive of the deepest mental agony that she received his caresses. “Ob, Mary! dearest Mary!” he exclaimed, “you donot hate me!—no, no, you do not hate me! You love me!—and, my God! I love CORNICLO@C (E@)