Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 324: what you’re looking at

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

LLL eee ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. Ardleigh had been pronounced out of danger, and continued to improve, though very slowly: the Duke sojourned at the Ship Hotel at Dover: and the young Marquis, be it remembered, had taken his departure before I myself left River House. Mary Glentworth continued unremitting in her attentions to the Duchess: her Grace was made acquainted with the real circumstances attending Mary’s birth; and therefore, when she found that the young lady was not actually her husband’s daughter, she experienced no disinclination to be attended upon by her. On the contrary, after a little while the Duchess evidently began to receive Mary’s ministrations with favour and satisfac- tion: bué she did not mention her son’s name in Mary’s presence. The Duke called every day at River House; but Miss Glentworth always contrived to be in her own chamber at the period of his lordship’s arrival; and thus they had not met once during the whole time. It wasalike from Mary and Juliet that I received these particulars ; for both had written me several letters during the fortnight which had elapsed since my departure from Riyer House. Indeed, amongst the letters which I had found at home on wy return from Kelvedon Hall, there was correspondence from those two dear friends of mine. But there was another letter to which I must make a passing allusion. It was from the Marquis of Dalrymple himself; and it contained a letter addressed to Mary Glentworth, which he requested me to forward to her. In his epistle to me he said that although he had now experienced a sufficient interval for deliberate reflection on the resolve to which he had come when at River House, in re- spect to the espousal of Mary at a future period, he still remained firm to that resolution: he be- held not the slightest reason to regret it—he per- ceived not the slightest motive for recallingit. He sincerely thanked me for the many kindnesses that I had shewn him, and declared that through me, in a variety of ways, he had become the altered being that he was. _The letter he had written to Mary Glentworth was left: unsealed that I might peruse it; and I was much touched by this proof of confidence and delicate consideration on his part. I did read the letter, because I thought that under all circumstances I was in duty bound to do so. It was couched in the most affectionate terms: it made not the slightest allusion to the Yeason of the temporary separation of some few months betwixt himself and his intended: but it breathed all the fervour of a manly love, with- out sickly sentimentalism or maudlin triviality. I therefore had no hesitation in sending this letter to Mary Glentworth; and I penned a few lines to the young Marquis to let him know that his re- quest had been complied with, and likewise to show him that I appreciated the frank and generous method of his procedure, I had some curiosity to ascertain what had become of Edwin St. Clair and Lady Lilla Essendine. I learned through William Lardner that St. Clair had not returned to his residence in the Regent’s Park after the trial at the Old Bailey. He made further inquiries at my instigation ; and he ascertained that both St. Clair and Lady Lilla had gone abroad—but he could not discover to what part of the world they had betaken them- selves, 3ll The day after I left Haton Square—and while [ was making my preparations for a journey into Staffordshire, as I had received the promised letter from Charlotte, inviting me to pass some time with her family at Tremaine Hall—a large box arrived at the house; and on opening it, I found that it contained a magnificent present of plate from Lord Kelvedon. It was a complete dinner service, fitted for the entertainment of twenty-four per- sons,—silver dishes, side-dishes, soup-tureens, sauce-boats, and plates, all complete—with my initials engraven*on every article. There was likewise a splendid set of diamonds from Lady Kelvedon; and this superb gift—or rather assem- blage of gifts, was accompanied by a most friendly letter from his lordship, and a most affectionate one from Hermione. As the reader may suppose, I was very glad to find a letter from Charlotte Tremaine, inviting me to stay at her father’s mansion; because it was at no great distance from Stafford, and I was anxious to prosecute my inquiries in that town after the information I had received from Dame Betty. That anxiety was all the greater on ac- count of the very vagueness of the information. I could scarcely conceive how there was a possi- bility of my cousin Henry Wakefield having any prospects with which he was previously un- acquainted. I nevertheless remembered that his mother, my deceased aunt, had always avoided speaking about her departed husband, or making any allusion to family affairs; and this I had attributed to her grief at her husband’s untimely death, which had been produced by his financial difficulties. Still I thought that if she had been aware of the existence of any chance by which her beloved son’s circumstances might at any time be improved, she would scarcely have failed to leave some parting instructions on the subject. However, I was determined to investigate the business without delay; and thus I lost no time in making my preparations for a journey into Staffordshire, On this occasion I resolved to take my faithful Beda with me; while she rejoiced at the prospect of again travelling in my company. We set out in the morning of the third day following the one on which I had taken leave of my friends in Eaton Square; and we arrived at Stafford in the evening. We took up our quarters at the best hotel in the town; and I resolved to lose not a moment in entering on my inquiries in respect to the woman Sturton. I should observe that I had mentioned all the circumstances to Beda ; i she had no recollection of the name— she was unable to throw the faintest additional ight upon the mystery. She was, however, most anxious to conduct the present inquiry on my be- half; and accordingly, on our arrival at Stafford, she issued forth from the hotel to proceed to the address specified by Dame Betty. I should have accompanied her; but I felt rather -indisposed after all the excitement I had recently undergone —and moreover I fancied it would seem strange if the instant I arrived at the hotel I went out to visit some poor neighbourhood, as I had no doubt the district where the woman Sturton resided must prove to be; whereas, on the other hand, Beda could institute inquiries without attracting apy particular attention. She was nearly two hours absent, during which (C tS SS lS Sess OOKO)|K (SO)