Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 380: what you’re looking at

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ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS, All that I am taking minutes to describe oc- curred in the space of moments. On came the immense van: my coachman lashed his horse furi- ously to get the carriage out of the way — the animal swerved abruptly—the vehicle was turned half round—then the horse backed suddenly—and the hinder part of the equipage was struck with tremendous violence by the huge wain as it thun- dered past. In the twinkling of an eye the carriage was up- set, wild shrieks of terror pealing from the lips alike of Juliet and myself. The carriage fell upon the side against which I was seated, so that the brunt of the concussion was actually borne by my- self; for my person formed as it were a cushion to break the violence of the shock experienced by Juliet. But fortunately I sustained no serious in- jury; for the sides of the carriage were well stuffed, and the very instant that I felt it was going over I instinctively threw myself back into the corner, where the lining was thickest and softest. Scarcely had the accident occurred, when the door that was uppermost was opened: and a voice exclaimed, “or heaven’s sake tell me, ladies, are you hurt ?” Then assistance was promptly rendered to Juliet, to extricate her from her unpleasant posi- tion; and almost immediately afterwards I was helped out of the carriage. The personage who was thus so prompt in rendering his assistance, was Count Teleki, the Hungarian nobleman to whom we had been introduced at Carshalton House. CHAPTER CXXVIII. THE MURDEE AND SUICIDE, THOUGH neither Juliet nor myself were at all in- jured by the accident we had experienced, yet our ideas were to a certain extent confused and bewil- dered, and our toilet was disordered. “Let me get you out of the crowd !” exclaimed Count Teleki: for the neighbourhood of the car- riage was still thronged by multitudes of people. “But my servants?” I ejaculated; “are they safe? I fear that the coachman must be in- jured !” “No, Miss—I am ail safe,” said the coachman, now appearing in view; and at the same time I caught a glimpse of the footman close by. “Leave your servants to take care of the car- riage,” said Count Teleki; “and pray let mo get you out of this crowd.” Leaning upon his arms for support, Juliet and myself gratefully accepted the assistance whih was thus proffered: the crowd made way for us— we got beyond its outskirts—and the inhabitants of several of the adjacent houses came forth to offer us their hospitality. But we declined it, as Great Ormond Street was at no considerable dis- tance, and we were well able to walk homeward. But now we put rapid and anxious queries to Count Teleki, in respect to the amount of injury that he supposed might have been done by the waggon and the affrighted horses; and we like- wise asked if he was acquainted with any of the particulars of the tragedy that had occurred in the neighbourhood and which had created so tre- mendous an excitement ?P ~ Seen ens esses 367 “T ave heard nothing more on this point than you yourselves, ladies, seem to be acquainted with,” he replied. ‘ After leaving Carshalton House just now, I remembered that I had in the morning received an application from an Hungarian gen- tleman, who from unforeseen and unavoidable cir- cumstances had become plunged into misfortunes, Having no particular engagement for this evening, I resolved to call upon my afflicted fellow-country- man; and being well acquainted with London, J decided upon walking to the place of his abode, which is in this immediate neighbourhood. I paid the visit accordingly, and took my leave some ten minutes ago. On entering into this street, I sud- denly found myself involved in the midst of an excited crowd. I inquired what was the reason of the commotion; but all I could gather from the brief ejaculatory answers that were hurriedly given me, was to the effect that a gentleman had mur- dered some lady in the neighbourhood, and that he had immediately afterwards committed suicide.” ** A gentleman and a lady?” I ejaculated. “TI had not an idea that the criminal and the victim belonged to that order of society. Did you hear their names mentioned ?” * No—I heard nothing more than what I have just told you, Miss Percy,” replied Count Teleki. “ As for my own narrative,it may be quickly brought to a conclusion ; for scarcely had I become involved amidst the crowd, when that wain came thundering along the street, and the heavy equipage made its terrible crushing way amidst the flying and affrighted multitude, just like a huge ship ploughing its course amidst the heaving billows of the sea, I can assure you that I for one nar- rowly e&caped destruction. I am neither very weak nor very short,’ continued Count Teleki, with a smile; “and yet for a few moments I was as powerless as an infant in the midst of that living torrent which was pouring through the street. Vain was every attempt to battle my way! Iwas lifted completely off my legs; and for some moments—I think that I might almost say minutes, I was thus borne onward by the fast flowing waves of that excited stream of people. All of a sudden I caught sight of a carriage. I recognised it at once; for on leaving Carshalton House £ had stood to admire that superb bay horse of your’s, Miss Percy. But scarcely had I thus caught a glimpse of the equipage, when the hreatening wain drawn by the three frenzied animals, came thundering past—the cries that were already wild enough, burst forth with a still wilder peal—and it struck me that the din of the huge equipage was for a moment blended with another sound, as if a crash had somewhere taken place. The wain dashed onward ; but your car- riage had disappeared from my view. The den- sity of the crowd was now considerably relieved ; and I had comparatively little difficulty in clear- ing a path for the half-dozen yards which sepa- rated me from the scene of the accident which had occurred to your equipage. You know the rest.” Both Juliet and myself expressed our warmest thanks to Count Teleki for the prompt assistance he had rendered us ; and by the time his explana- tions were finished, the door of my house in Great Ormond Street was reached. I of course asked him to walk in, as an act of requisite politeness ; (COMMU OOK (EO)