Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 336: 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. 323 back to be a most beautiful woman. This was his cousin Arabella Rayenscliffe,” “ Ravenscliffe?” I ejaculated, surprised at this mention of a name that was so familiar to me, ** Yes—Ravenscliffe,” rejoined Beda; “for it appears that there is some distanf connexion be- tween the Tremaines and Lord Carshalton’s family —though I know not exactly how or in what de- gree: and moreover I believe, from what I heard, the two families are estranged—knowing nothing of each other, and not caring to know any- thing.” “It is strange, Beda,” I observed, “ how cer- tain names have been recently mentioned in my hearing,—as if they were really destined to bo grouped altogether in the end, for the purpose of developing some important result! But proceed with your narrative.” “TI am telling you a tale, dear Miss, of half a century back—when Squire Tremaine, as he was always called, was the master of the estate and mansion. I was telling you likewise that it was here, beneath this roof, that Edmund Cautley, on his return from India, encountered his cousin Arabella Ravenscliffe. She was now a superb woman of five-and-twenty, in all the glory of a most magnificent loveliness. As I heard the tale from the old laundress, it was scarcely possible to perceive any poetry in the description: but still her language is graphic enough to enable the ima- gination to conceive all the poetry for itself. And 60, without any very great mental effort, I could picture the tall, slender, elegant-shaped Captain Cautley—with his countenance slightly bronzed by the sun of an Indian clime—his dark eyes, his finely-pencilled black moustache—and his air of the finished gentleman,—meeting beneath this roof the superb and queen-like Arabella, whose light brown hair fell in myriads of ringlets upon snowy shoulders—whose complexion was of the purity of the lily, imperceptibly blending with the softest blush of the rose—whose large blue eyes were full of languor and tenderness—and whose form, above the usual stature of woman, was remarkable for graceful symmetry and softly rounded propor- tions.” ‘Indeed you are poetic, my dear Beda!’ I ex- claimed, with a half-smile. “ But are you sure that you are justified in using such terms after the description received from the lips of a menial ?” ** In her own plain, but sensible and graphic style,” rejoined Beda, “ she succeeded in ing the portraits of her characters stand out as it were with life-like effect from the canvass of her word- painting. Iam but expressing the same ideas in other terms.” ** Proceed, my dear girl—and pardon me the in- terruption.” “The tale is not a very long one,” resumed Beda. “ Arabella Ravenscliffe had lost her father ; and her mother, who had been a very beautiful woman in her day, was almost completely blind. Thus Arabella was compelled to be a constant at- tendant on her afflicted parent ; for their means were very limited indeed—all her resources being pretty neariy swallowed up by a long and disas- trous lawsuit, in which her branch of the family was plunged with some other branches,—a terrible network of legal difficulties which the old laundress herself dared not attempt to unravel in the form LT a rr nw ee, of an explanation. Well then, considering tho poverty of Mrs, and Miss Ravonscliffe, it was quite a godsend for them when Squire Tremaine invited them to come and fake up their abode altogether at the Hall soon after the death of his wife ; for he thought that though the mother was nearly blind, yet that by the assistance of the daughter, or by the aid of the two together, his housekeeping affaixs might be comfortably superintended. And then came Captain Cautley, as I have already said. There was plenty of company at the Hall for a while; and so far as tho old laundress can recollect, nothing particular was thought in reference to tha Captain and Arabella, until the guests had taken their departure and there was a species of lull after a long round of pleasure ;—and then if was observed that the handsome Captain and the beautiful Arabella were frequently seen whispering together —evidently snatching moments to be apart from the Squire and the halt-blind lady—sometimes walking in the garden and the shrubberies—but chiefly in the most secluded spots; so that thero was not much trouble in conjecturing that they were lovers. But after a little while Captain Cautley was suddenly ordered to join his regiment, which was stationed in Ireland, where troubles had broken out. After his departure a visible change took place in Arabella Ravenscliffe: her natural gaiety seemed to have fled, though she strove to maintain a forced animation in the presence of the Squire and her mother. As for the Squire, his life seemed to be divided into three parts:—one was spent in the saddle, the second at the table, and the third in bed. He was fond of his bottle —he drank very hard; and when he was not tipsy or asleep, he was out hunting. Of course sucha man was but little likely to notice any change that took place in the young lady; and if she had turned from the fair creature that she was, into an Ethiopian, he could scarcely have perceived it. Then as for Mrs. Ravenscliffe, she was becoming more and more blind, and could discern nothing. The servants had their eyes open—they began to have their suspicions of something: but it was not for them to speak a word, unless it were whisper- ingly uttered amongst themselyes;—and even in this they were diffident and cautious, because Miss Arabella was a great favourite, and very good to them. But what they did suspect was that the poor young lady had been betrayed and abandoned by Edmund Cautley—and that she was in a way to become a mother !” Here Beda paused for a few moments, while a blush stained her cheek; for such was the exceed- ing purity of the young girl’s soul, that it shocked her, even in her discourse with me whom she re- garded in the light of a confidential friend, to be compelled to allude to such a subject. ‘No more company now visited at Tremaine Hall,” continued Beda; “but how this was pre- vented, the servants knew not,—whether it were that the Squire himself had become indifferent on the point—or whether Arabella succeeded in in- fluencing him and her mother to that extent. The fact however seoms to be as Lam relating it. At length, after the expiration of six or seven months from Captain Cautley’s departure, he suddenly re- appeared at the Hall. His arrival was almost immediately followed by certain little changes in (C OOVO)|KK (E©)