Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 242: what you’re looking at

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ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. 229 she said in a calm collected voice, “ You are right, | the thread of my tale, I should proceed to observe Ellen—for henceforth I shall cell you by your | that Charlotte continued to maintain the most per- Christian name, because circumstances have sud- | fect composure and self-possession. When I had denly established an intimacy between us! Yes, | been in the drawing-room about ten minutes, I saw you areright! I must think no more of Ludo- | her rise from her seat, approach her mother—but vico Marano—everything is at end between him | as if quite ina casual and indifferent manner—and and me! And now come—let me introduce you | whisper a few words in herear. Mrs. Tremaine to my parents and my sisters.” rose; and as she was about to follow her daugh- “Would it not be advisable,” I asked, “ to post- | ter from the room, she stopped opposite me, and pone this introduction ? Do you not now require | said, “I hope, Miss Percy, that you will remain to leisure for reflection—to retire to your own/|dine with us? I can assure you that Charlotte chamber——or else to communicate without | stayed at home on purpose to receive you: or else + she would have fulfilled a promise she made to dine * Come with me, Ellen, I repeat!’ exclaimed | with her godmother, Mrs Milnes.” Charlotte. “I must introduce you to my sisters} “I am truly sorry,” I said, “that Miss Tre- they are expecting you! I can whisper a | maine should have declined any agreeable engage- word in my mother’s ear—she will accompany me | ment on my account: but you must really excuse from the room—and I will then reveal to her what | me this evening—for I myself have an engagement has occurred.” to keep.” I offered no further remonstrance, but accom- * Well, if that be so,” returned Mrs. Tremaine, panied Charlotte, who was now displaying a de- | “ we must look for this pleasure on a future occa- gree of fortitude and self-possession which sur- | sion.” prised me, but which I was nevertheless glad to! She then followed Charlotte from the room; and find that she could thus bring to her aid. She | T remained i in conversation with Mr. Tremaine, the led the way up to the drawing-room, where I was | Colonel, and the young ladies. In about a quarter introduced to the Tremaine family, from whom I | of an hour & maneservant entered the apartment, experienced a most cordial reception. Mr. and | and whispered something to Mr. Tremaine, who Mrs. Tremaine were both short, stout, good. | thereupon rose from his seat and withdrew. I natured looking personages—perfectly genteel i in | thought to myself that he had been thus sent for their manners, but with a warm affability and | by his wife and eldest daughter to confer upon the frankness which seemed to repudiate all useless | subject which now so closely concerned them; and finally taken. Therefore, when I had finished, cestral Hall in Staffordshire. Therefore, to continue delay to your parents | forms and to thaw the coldness of whatsoever | in a few minutes I rose to take my leave. Colonel ceremony was indispensable. Colonel Tremaine, | Tremaine — evidently having heard of the invi- though a younger brother, looked at least a dozen | tation which had been given me to proceed into years older than Mr. Tremaine: but then the sol- | Staffordshire to be present at the bridal, and little dier was tall, stooping in his gait, and suffering | suspecting how this marriage was now broken off from bad health. Charlotte’s five sisters—the | —said, as he shook hands with me, “I hope we youngest of whom was thirteen—were all good- | shall see you again in London, Miss Percy, before natured, affable, kind-hearted girls, partaking of | we all go into the country: but if not, we shall at the disposition of their parents; while in respect | all events have the pleasure of greeting you soon to personal appearance, they were good-looking, | in Staffordshire.” showy, and genteel, without deserving the epi- I simply expressed my gratitude for the thets of either handsome or beautiful. Colonel’s kindness; and having shaken hands But there was another young lady present in | with the young ladies, I descended from the that room—and she really was most exquisitely | drawing-room. A bell was rung in order that a lovely. Never had I beheld a female counte- domestic might escort me to my carriage ; but as nance which more completely fascinated me at|I was passing through the hall, Mr. Tremaine the first glance than that of Sarah Barron, for} came forth from the dining- room—and with an such was the young lady’s name; and I round off-hand cheerfulness, which evidently was as- that she was the governess of the two younger| sumed to prevent the servant from suspecting girls, whose ages were respectively thirteen and | that there was anything wrong, he said, “ Do not fifteen. Miss Barron was even more lady-like in | go, Miss Perey, before you have bidden farewell appearance than any of the Misses Tremaine,— | to my wife and Charlotte.” and she was infinitely superior in personal attrac-| I accordingly followed him into the dining- tions. She seemed to be considered on a per-| room, where I found Mrs. and Miss Tremaine. fectly equal footing with themselves, and was in- | Both had evidently been weeping ; and the mother troduced to me in due course, I liked her the | held the hand of her daughter fast locked in her moment I saw her; and, when at parting, we | own, in that mode of imparting a tacit encourage- shook hands, I thought to myself, “ There is one | ment and solace which mothers only know how to with whom I could become intimate immediately convey. despite the caution which the world’s experience| ‘Miss Percy,” said Mr. Tremaine, addressing has taught me!” me in kind tones, but with a grave expression of But I must not linger to speak more of Sarah | countenance, “ accept our sincerest thanks for tlie Barron for the present: nor is itnow my intention | part which you have this evening performed. to enter into any Jengthened description of the | Fortuitous circumstances have enabled you to Tremaine family; for in the course of this narra-| render an immense service to my daughter, by tive I shall have yet to devote more than one| saving her from becoming the bride of a man chapter to incidents of a startling and thrilling na- | whom, after all I have recently heard, I should ture connected with this family and their old an- | be sorry to acknowledge as my son-in-law. 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