Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 216: what you’re looking at

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

ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. 203 | you more tenderly and more passionately than , sentiment of friendship on your part towards me ever !” and you did once assure me of your friend- Deeply affecting was this scene: but all ina | ship!—I beseech you to explain the meaning of moment it experienced a wild and startling | all this! Leare me not a prey to such excru- change. ciating suspense! It is cruel —it is inhu- “Enough! enough!” literally shrieked forth | man “ Mary Glentworth, in a voice the utter misery of “* My lord,” I interrupted him, “ pray, in the which cannot possibly be explained in words, | name of heaven, exercise some command over your “Talk not to me of love, Herbert !—talk not to| feelings! Circumstances have occurred-—-~but me of love! It isa tale which { must not hear! | no explanations can possibly be given now— And yet, O God! if it were otherwise ? indeed, they never can be given! You must ac- Here the wretched girl threw herself upon the cept Mary’s decision as final—you must not in- sofa whence she had started up, and began sob- | dulge in hope ; bing and weeping as if her heart would break. | But I here stgpped short ; for I was floundering “Good heavens! I shall go mad!” exclaimed | deeper and deeper in a quagmire of excuses and Dalrymple. ‘“ What does all this meanP lam | evasions which instead of improving matters, were loved—and yet I must not speak of love! The only calculated to render them much worse. But tremendous barrier which we fancied to oppose perhaps upon no occasion in which the affairs of our union, exists no longer—it has become sud- | others were concerned, did I so completely lose denly dissolved—it has melted away like the snow | my self-possession and presence of mind. —and yet Iam to infer that my love is as hope- “Ab, i see that from your lips I can obtain less as ever! What does it mean, I ask. Tell nothing satisfactory!’ exclaimed Herbert, in a me, Miss Percy !” | tone of the bitterest reproach ; “and this is con- I could not answer a word: I turned away, duct which I little expected from you, Miss covering my face with my hands, and the tears Perey! Now, Mary,” he continued, turning streaming like rain-drops between my fingers. abruptly away from me, end accosting Miss “Ob, this dreadful suspense! this horrible Glentworth, “I will make one last effort to ob- mystery!” exclaimed Herbert, stamping his foot | tain an explanation from your lips! I should upon the carpet, and looking as if he were half- | have a right to demand it after everything which frenzied. “ Mary, lconjure and entreat you . He stopped suddenly short: he had again sunk upon his knees—he had endeavoured to throw his , arms about her once more; but she repulsed him in a manner which might appear to him to be with a sort of horror, though it was in reality with the vehemence arising from her own dis- | manner—this passion amounting almost to dis. tracted state of mind. traction,—good God! what does if mean? But only entreatit. Yes—bid me go upon my knees, and I will do so !” “ No, no!” ejaculated Mary: “ kneel not to me, Herbert !” “This wildness of tone—this desperation of “ My God! what have I done to deserve this?” | Ah!” he continued, “if you are thus excited, it is exclaimed the young Marquis, as much bewildered | all the greater reason why I myself should endea- as he was afflicted. ‘* Caresses at one moment— | vour to become reasonable! Yes, yes—I will be repulses the next! First the testimonials of love | cool! Now therefore, Mary,’ he continued, “I ——then the evidences of hate! Oh, these incon- do you sistencies! What do they mean? Is there aught connected with your history, as you have ere now been led to read it, different from the way you | look that seemed to imply that to have her love were wont to understand it ?—is there aught! suspected were tantamount to an accusation of that can have embittered you. more against my | crime which she was bound at once to repel. family ?” “ Love you?” she repeated at the interval of but “ No, no, Herbert!” responded Mary, in a half- | a few moments—and her entire appearance showed choking voice; “your family is now nothing to | how much she did really love Herbert Dalrymple; me !” for there was an inexpressible tenderness in her “My family is nothing!” exclaimed the Mar- | looks—there was the most eloquent animation on quis. “ But I, Mary—I, who love you so ten- | her countenance—there was the strong palpitation derly and devotedly—am I nothing ?” of the bosom—and there was even the very atti- “ You ?”—and it was with a species of enthu- | tude which seemed to show that she was ready to siasm that she spoke, as much to imply that with | spring forward and cast her arms about his neck, him it was very different: but all in a moment | but that some strong feeling of quite an opposite checking herself, she simply said, “ I beseech you | character held her back. not to question me. Leave me! Let us part— “Ah! then you do love me?” exclaimed the and—and this time ” but here her voice seemed | Marquis, his aceents thrilling with joy; “and this to fail her, and she appeared to be seized with a | point is no longer for a moment dubious !” suffocating sensation, until with an almost preter- | And he on his part seemed ready to wind his human effort she added, “‘ And this time, let it be | own armsabout the form of Mary, when a gesture, for ever !” half-peremptory and half-deprecating, which she Herbert Dalrymple dashed his open palm against | made, kept him riveted to the spot. his forehead as if he were labouring under a maniac | “Hear me, however, Herbert,” she said, now excitement ; and then rushing towards me, he ex- | speaking with a composure such as she had not claimed in a voice the accents of which appeared | before manifested from the commencement of this to be full of frenzy, ‘“ What does all this mean, | painful scene,—“ hear me, and interrupt me not! Miss Percy ? Oh! if there were ever the slightest | You ask me whether I love you? My looks even conjure you to answer me this question still love me?” “Love you?” she ejaculated, starting up witha { has taken place between you and me—but I will | : LL LLL LAL CL SS sce EORNICLOOOKS. EO)