Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 352: 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, from raising my voice and crying for assistance, it is because I would not take a step that should ereate a scandal in the house, or afford scope for gossipand tittle-tattle. Pray therefore depart! I entreat and conjure—nay, more, I command you!” “ Ah!” he ejaculated, his entire air and man- ner changing all in amoment, and his countenance again wearing that look of diabolical malignity to which I have before alluded: “ you dare address me in these peremptory terms ?—and all my own courtesy is thrown away ?” At the same instant he drew forth a pistol from his pocket: a glance showed me that it was a double-barrelled one—a cry rose up to my lips— but I held it back, for at the same moment he exclaimed, “ Speak not !—utter not a sound !—or by heaven I will fire !” The double-barrelled weapon was within two feet of my face as those terrible threats smote my ear ; and I was transfixed with terror. I knew how fearfully vindictive the man was: I knew also that he was one of the worst specimens of the Italian disposition; and I was therefore stricken with the horrible conviction that he was quite capable of fulfilling his diabolic threat. And thus there I stood, holding the taper in one hand, and having dropped from the other the cloak which I had torn off him and which I had been mechani- cally retaining in my grasp. Yes—there I stood, statue-like, with an awful consternation on my mind, I felt as if I were looking death in the face—because that pistol might explode by acci- dent, or through the sudden deepening of the malignant feeling which the man entertained against me ! . “ Now, Miss Percy,” he said, “ you are in my power—and perhaps it is for me to command! Down on your knees, and swear to perform what- soever I am about to dictate! I know that if you take an oath you will keep it, however repugnant its fulfilment may be to your own feelings.” “T will not swear,” I answered, as I felt my presence of mind returning. “No!—you may kill me—but I will not have an oath extorted from me by such means as these!” There was an instant when so truly diabolical and fiendlike was the expression of Ludovico Ma- rano’s countenance, as I thus addressed him, that I already felt as if that instant was to be my last, and that there would be a sudden flashing before my eyes,a sudden din in my ears, and that by an abrupt transition of scenes I should awake to the consciousness of another world. I remember that this idea—this truly awful idea—swept vividly through my brain; for never did any man seem more fully capable of perpetrating a villanous ac- tion than did Ludovico Marano at that moment! You will not swear?” he said. “ We shall seo! But I tell you that you wil? swear !—and for these reasons—that in the first place it is nothing so very outrageous to your feelings which I am about to demand of you—and in the second place because I swear by everything sacred in heaven and everything terrible in hell, that I will mercilessly blow out your brains if you do not !” I shuddered from head to foot: as glacial a sen= sation swept through me as if I had been all ina moment lifted up from tke spot where-I stood and deposited amidst the ice of the northern pole. _—_ 339 Again was I on the point of crying out: the im- pulse to send a scream pealing throughout the mansion was almost irresistible: but even amidst the very wildness and poignancy of my terror, there was acertain degree of presence of mind which made me say to myself, “ He will assuredly shoot me if I do!” “Give me that light,” he said; for doubtless perceiving the tremor which swept over me, he dreaded lest I should drop the taper and that we should be left in darkness. I gave him the candlestick; and as he took it, the formidable weapon came still closer to my face. Again I shuddered: again did the horrible apprehension seize upon me lest that instant should be my last! “* Now listen to me, Miss Percy,” he said, as he deposited the taper upon a neighbouring chair. “T am determined to see Charlotte Tremaine—and you shall help me in the accomplishment of that object. All I ask is to see her! I do not believe that she could have all in a moment divested her- self of the love that for a long period she had entertained for me! It is impossible! All my strong attachment was not to be recompensed by so much heartlessness on her part! It was a mo- mentary prejudice to which she yielded !—and you, Miss Perey, excited it! You therefore shall now become the means of destroying it! You shall bring us together! It is all that I ask; and if Charlotte Tremaine now assures me that after a period of calm and deliberate reflection she still desires that everything is to be at an end between us, I will bow to her decision. But this decision I am determined to have! Now, Miss Percy, will you swear to do my bidding P—will you go and bring Charlotte Tremaine hither ?—will you faith- fully promise you will raise no alarm—warn no one except Charlotte of my presence here—and take no step that may in any way interfere with my plans? If you swear, I shall believe you. If you refuse———”: “Signor Marano,” I interrupted him, “is it possible that you—a gentleman by birth—belong- ing to a nation once renowed for its chivalry and its magnanimity—is it possible that you can stand here with a loaded weapon in your hand and give way to the most horrible threats to a defenceless female P” , “ Such pleading as this is vain and useless, Miss Percy !” he ejaculated. “I am resolute and de- termined! You have done me much wrong: you shall now put it right !” “T have never done you any wrong, Signor Marano, that you yourself did not deserve,” I responded. ‘“ Oh, let me appeal to your better feelings in the present case! Or I would even ask if you are not afraid of the course which you are pursuing—in the first instance seizing hold of the tale which superstition tells, as a means to render a particular disguise available for your sinister purposes 7 “ Enough ! enough!” cried Marano impatiently. “Take your course!—decide quickly !—or by. heaven I swear——” “Be cautious,” I ejaculated, “how you give utterance to such fearful oaths! or if ever there were a case in which a miracle might be worked to save a defenceless female "4 “ What mean you? what mean you ?” demanded (EO) JOO SS (CO)