Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 221: what you’re looking at

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

’ | 208 ceptionable—the house is comfortable—every at- tention has been shown my dear wife—and I am sure nothing could be better than the pheasants or the sherry. But don’t you see, Miss Percy, it would be awkward and embarrassing for me to run against Miss Glentworth—she would feel it just the same—she knows her aunt was my mistress % “ Allthis, my lord, constitutes the very subject,” I said, “ upon which I purpose to speak to your Grace. Lady Frederick Ravenscliffe would re- joice that you should make her house your home as long as circumstances render it necessary: but Mary must be considered 4 “T know what I will do!” ejaculated the Duke : “in fact, I had already made up my mind just before you entered the room. I will go to the hotel at Dover it will be much better I can stay there as long as the doctor may think it needful for the Duchess to remain beneath this roof, I can call every day—and if I name a parti- cular hour, Mary can keep her own room just at that peried ‘ “All this can be easily managed, my lord,” I said: “and I think you have adopted a most pru- dent resoiution in repairing to the hotel at Dover.” Matters were thus settled; and in the course of the afternoon the Duke took his departure from River House, so that only the Duchess and her confidential maid remained there. Her Grace continued unconscious of all that was passing around her; and though she opened her eyes, yet -_——- I there was no intelligence in them—it was upon | vacancy that they looked. Mary Glentworth now suddenly expressed to me a desire to visit the bed- side of the Duchess; and as a matter of course there was not the slightest objection to the grati- fication of her wish. But when once in that chamber, Mary vowed that she would take her turn in performing the part of nurse towards the patrician lady; and I had no difficulty in compre- hending that it was for Herbert’s sake she thus demonstrated so much kind solicitude on behalf of the mother. All her rancour against the Ard- leighs was gone; she had no longer any reason to cherish it against any scion of that family. If she thought of her own mother, it was not now as the degraded and dishonoured mistress of the Duke: it was only of her aunt that she could thus think ; and it was evident that this aunt had willingly ac- cepted her destiny at the time as the nobleman’s paramour—so that it was not for such a reason that Mary could continue to bear rancour against the Duke; though on the other hand it was of course deemed expedient, considering all past cir- cumstances, that they should, if possible, avoid a meeting. Mr. Singleton placed in Mary’s hands the documents which had been discovered at the cottage; and a liberal reward was forwarded, through the agency of the worthy surgeon, to the old gardener. On the following day two rhysicians came down from London, they having been despatched by the Marquis of Dalrymple. They fully approved of everything which had been done by Mr. Singleton ; and they declared that it would be dangerous to remove the Duchess for the present. But I must now divert the reader’s attention from this topic for the present, and speakof other matters. | ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS, It was on the third morning after my arrival at River House with Mary Glentworth, that I re- ceived a letter from Beda, containing two pieces ot intelligence which were of more or less impor- tance. The first was that she had discovered the residence of Mademoiselle Angeline Churchill the ballet-dancer; the second was that the hump- backed dwarf whom I had seen at Gilderoy Hemp’s establishment, had been to the house to inquire for me and had left word that he should call again. I had hitherto fancied that the dwarf must have been included amongst the victims of the terrific confiagratien at Gilderoy’s abode; and I was therefore startled and amazed when I read that announcement in Beda’s letter. I was naturally anxious to see the humpback. Perhaps he could give me some information that might be impor- tant; for there was always in my mind the doubt as to whether Parkes had actually perished in that conflagration or not. When coming to River House, I had made up my mind to remain there altogether for a month or so; but my resolution was now suddenly aitered, and I determined to go back to London—at least for a few days—so that I might see the humpback. I represented to Juliet and Mary that some urgent business had unexpectedly transpired to take me back to the metropolis; and I set off accordingly. It was between four and five o'clock in the afternoon when I reached Great Ormond Street ; and I at once sought from Beda’s lips the details of those matters which she had mentioned in her letter. “ And first of all relative to the humpback,” I said ; “ because that is of the greatest importance, Here isa man whom for the last seven or eight months we have supposed to be no more, suddenly reappearing But tell me all about it, my dear Beda !” - “Indeed, my dear Miss,” she replied, “I have very little more to tell you than was communi- cated in my letter. When I was out yesterday, a person called, answering exactly the description of the dwarf,—a hideous old man, about three feet in stature, with a head leaning all over on one side—a mouth all awry—grey hair and shagey overhanging brows bi “Yes—it must have been the very same!” I ejaculated. “Tt could be none other,” rejoined Beda. “He asked for Miss Percy. It was Susan who an- swered the door; and she told him that you were not at home. He simply said that he would call again ; and turning on his heel, he hastened away. Susan had not time to ask him his business: in- deed, as she has confessed to me, she was some- what frightened at the appearance of the strange being ——” ** Ah, then, at least it is fortunate,” I exclaimed, “that he was not told that I had gone out of town for a month; as he will now doubtless call again ina day or two. He must have something to communicate,—unless you think, Beda, he may be poor and in want, and therefore remembering me 3) “JT should rather suppose that he has some- thing to communicate,” replied Beda. “If he had thought of drawing upon your purse, he would not have allowed all these months te elapse.” ECORNICLOOOLK (EO)