Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 367: what you’re looking at

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ee tte ee ’ 354 ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. be despatched to Carshalton; and the speediest , sons should go!”—-and here the voice of the un- measures were likewise adopted to procure the happy Countess was lost in suffocating sobs. first physicians from the metropolis. I should observe that so soon as some semblance of order began to arise out of the chaos of agitated feelings and proceedings engendered by the acci- dent, I intimated to the Earl and Countess that I was about to bid them farewell. But her ladyship entreated me to remain. She declared that it seemed as if if were destined by heaven that I should be mixed up with the affairs of the I saw that the affliction of a mother was not altogether unblended with a certain degree of family pride, and that while the Countess of Car- shalton was deploring the probable loss of an only remaining child, she thought also with grief and bitterness of the fact that the name of Carshalton might die out of the peerage. But to do her justice, the more worldly-minded phase of her re- flections did not last very long—or at least did not Carshalton family. I had saved the life of the ' display itself visibly ; for all her ideas seemed to Earl in the railway-carriage—I had behaved with | be again concentrated in the course of a few kindness in reference to the closing incidents | minutes upon the sufferer who was perishing of her son Frederick’s career—and I had now been upon the spot to minister to the elder son when it was the will of heaven that a fearful accident should overtake him. It was in this strain that the Countess of Carshalton spoke; and it was impossible I could prove deaf to the entreaties which were so vehemently and passionately ad- dressed unto me. The Earl likewise implored me to remain; and drawing me aside, he whispered in an excited manner, “If the worst should happen, who would be here to sustain the Countess if you goaway? For heaven’s sake stay, Ellen !—stay, I beseech you! I do not know how it is, but it seems as if you were a being who appears amongst us when your presence is most necessary !” “I will stay, my lord,’ I answered: “but it is on condition that you permit me to share the duties of a nurse with the Countess, whose before her eyes. She whispered to me her alarm that he was sinking : I expressed a similar fear— and the physicians who had been kept in the house, were called up. Two hours later—while the grey misty dawn of a wintry morning was struggling to make its way through the clouds of darkness that seemed to cling tenaciously to the heaven of this hemisphere, if was considered expedient to summon the Earl of Carshalton from his chamber; and on his arrival in the toom of his dying son, I made a movement to retire. But the Countess, catching me by the hand, threw an appealing look upon me. I knew what she meant—and I remained. It was @ painful scene—Oh! most sad and painful, to witness the grief of those parefits who only six months back had been bereaved of one of their sons, and who were - now doomed to sustain the strength is not equal to the exigencies of such a | loss of the other! But I will not dwell upon the position.” subject—suflice it to say that at about nine o’clock “Do what you will,” rejoined the Eatl, “for I | in the morning of the day following the accident, know that whatsoever is done by you must be | Viscount Ravenscliffe breathed his last ! right.” I sat with the RY by the couch of her perishing son: I breathed in her ear language ‘that was more consolatory than hopeful, and which appealed to her sense of religion rather than to the more worldly side of the question. In short, with- out giving any shock to her feelings, I delicately and cautiously prepared her for the worst that might happen. The physicians came from Bir- mingham: they could recommend little more than the surgeons of the district had already accom- plished. The day passed—and in the evening a couple of celebrated physicians arrived from London: but these in their turn could recommend little more than their predecessors in the sick- room had already done. Throughout the night did I share the duties of nurse with the Countess of Carshalton. The Earl would have remained with us; but the medical men had insisted upon his retiring to rest. As for the unfortunate Vis- count, he lay in a state of unconsciousness of what Was passing around him,—now and then moaning in a low plaintive manner, which indicated that he suffered some pain—occasionally opening his eyes, but not with the faculty of sight, or at least not to exercise it with the power of recognition— but only to look vacantly and with glazing eye- balls. “Good heaven!” murmured the Countess to me, as towards morning the patient seemed to be sinking, “ what a frightful catastrophe if this old and time-honoured house should cease to exist! — if the mighty race of the Carshaltons should be- come extinct! Alas, alas! it is hard thag both —_——- -—— i re The Countess of Carshalton fell back fainting into my arms ; and I bore her from the chamber. For hours shé was like a distracted creature : she gave way to the wildest lamentations—and I feared her reason would be altogether wrecked. I had never passed through so painful a scene ; but I exerted myself to the very utmost in order to tranguillise and console her; and at last I suc- ceeded to a certain extent. To be brief, during the next four or five days I was almost constantly with the Countess; and when I was not in attend- ance upon her, my faithful Beda took my place. We were to her as two daughters might be to their mother; and the Countess deeply felt the attentions which we thus bestowed upon her. As for the Earl, he was terribly cut up : he remained much secluded in his own apartment—but on several occasions he said that he should not thus withdraw himself from the society of his wife, if he were not fully aware that I was much better enabled to soothe, conso.e, and tranquillise her mind than he himself could possibly be. I wrote to Tremaine Hall to inform my friends there of the reasons of my protracted absence; and I requested Charlotte to write and let me know how Sarah Barron was getting on. By return of post I received communications from the Hall: Sarah’s mother and brother had arrived there; and a very favourable turn had taken place in the condition of the wounded young lady. By the request of the Barl and the Countess of Carshalton, 1 wrote several letters to the most in- timate friends of the family, informing them of the ——— + Ce- —ooc eee ee - — —_ Gomichoo (E@)