Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 240: what you’re looking at

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ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIES UF AN ACTRESS. 297 it ; for he possessed an immense amount of moral courage. “Is—is—the Countess in England? Methought from Calais she went on to Paris * “She is in England, signor,” I said, with a pointed emphasis which rendered the Italian still more uneasy and made it every instant more diffi- cult for him to conceal his apprehensions in the presence of a third person. * Ah! the Countess of Carboni ?” said Char- lotte Tremaine, musing for a few moments over the name, “That is the lady concerning whom you spoke to me once, Ludovico, in connexion with that horrible affair of the murderer and suicide Luigi, I think though, to tell you the truth, my dear Miss Percy, I am never fond of reading the newspaper-accounts of such atrocities. —But dear me! here am I keeping you standing in the dining-room, when wy parents, my uncle, and my sisters, are all up in the drawing-room, anxious to be introduced to you!” “Take Miss Percy with you at once, my dear Charlotte,” said Ludovico ; ‘ and I will repair to my hotel and change my toilet for dinner. The Colonel dines punctually at half-past six, I be- lieve P—and I shall be here to the minute.” I felt myself to be most painfully situated: I was in a condition of the utmost embarrassment and perplexity. Should I denounce Ludovico Marano as a person utterly unworthy the hand of Charlotte Tremaine ?—or ought I first of all to speak to Beatrice upon the point and discover whether she chose to have her name mentioned in connexion with the matter—or whether, with a natural sentiment of feminise pride, she would rather conceal the fact of having been deceived end jilted, if I may use the term, by a heartless, anprincipled individual P But all of a sudden it struck me that I ought moé to pause for the pur- pose of consulting Beatrice in the matter. It was sufficient for me that the happiness of a young lady was involved ; and taking into consideration all I knew in reference to Ludovico Marano, I saw that it would be a sin to allow Charlotte Tremaine to go, without being thoroughly cautioned ané forewarned, in the company of such a man to the altar. Besides, [ now saw in the bold effrontery with which he was on the one hand endeavouring to carry off the sinister peculiarity of his own position, and yet on the other hand maintaining a look of deprecation and entreaty fixed upon mwy- self—I saw in all this, I repeat, an additional proof of the consummate duplicity and unprincipled nature of his disposition. Thus, after a few in- stants’ hesitation and reflection, my mind was made up how to act. “One moment, Signor Marano!” I exclaimed, as with a low and obsequious bow he was on the point of passing me. “At your service, Miss Percy,” he ejaculated, abruptly turning back. “ Always at the service of a lady whom it is impossible to help regarding with the highest admiration !” He kept on bowing as he thusspoke: there was a certain significancy in his accent—and his looks were full of the most earnest appeal. It struck me that Charlotte Tremaine now began to fancy that a scene was passing around her which she could not altogether comprehend; and she flung quick glances first at her lover—then at me—and back again at Ludovico. The door had been left a KL NE ajar as I entered the room; I now proceeded to close it—and this circumstance, appearing to herald something serious or important, struck Charlotte Tremaine with something more than mere curi- osity ; for I saw that she was even seized with un- easiness. As for Ludovico Marano, he was now very pale—his lips were quivering uneasily—and he was evidently a prey to a growing terror. “ Miss Tremaine,” I said, with a grave counte- nance, and ina voice that was of corresponding solemnity, “I am placed in a position the painful- ness of which you will presently understand and make allowances for “ “Oh, if Miss Percy intends to reveal a certain secret,” interrupted Ludovico, “relative to the part which I have acted at the instigation of the lady to whom we have already alluded I mean the Countess of Carboni—she is welcome to tell the tale. There is little or nothing in it of which I need be ashamed !—but whether it be a generous proceeding on Miss Percy’s part 3 “ Heavens! what means all this mystery ?” eja- culated Charlotte, much afflicted and bewildered. “Tell me, Miss Percy, I beseech you! As for you, Ludovico, I am of course well aware that you are incapable of anything which you need blush to acknowledge!” “ Yes—believe that it is so, Charlotte!’ ex- claimed the Italian. ‘ You and your family know me far better than Miss Percy knows me: Mr. Tremaine made every species of inquiries concern- ing me between two and three years ago és “Tam making no accusation, signor,” I inter- rupted him, “against the repute which as an honourable man you may have borne in your native land, and at the time to which you are alluding. But your own conscience 7 “Of what do you accuse him, Miss Percy ?” de- manded Charlotte Tremaine. ‘This scene is be- coming most painful! Little did I imagine, when anticipating the pleasure of meeting you, Miss Percy———” “ And little did I imagine, Miss Tremaine,” I interjected, “that I, on accepting your kind invi- tation, should be placed in a position so awkward as that in which I now find myself. But it isa duty x ' “Tet me tell the tale,” exclaimed Ludovico Marano, whose cheeks for the last minute or two had ceased to be pale and were flushing feverishly. “That miscreant Luigi of whom we just pow spoke, was the cause of a terrible tragedy wherein a be- loved cousin of mine became a victim: and I cherished the deadliest hatred against this Luigi!” “ But all that is natural!” ejaculated Charlotte, who was listening with the intensest interest. “Oh, Miss Percy! you cannot blame him !” “ Let not this painful scene,” I said, “ be unne- cessarily prolonged. And Oh! for me it is indeed bitterly painful that I should be compelled to per- form the part of an accuser! Yet so it must be! Signor Marano,” I ejaculated, turning towards the young Italian, and addressing him with a look and tone which I intended should bring him at once down from the pedestal of defiance and hardihood whereon he had again been endeavouring to esta- blish himself,—“ dare you deny that you persouated a Catholic priest—that you assumed the name of Father Maffeo a “ But this is ridiculous!” ejaculated Charlotte. Gomichboo SSEiGOmM