Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 41: what you’re looking at

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~ 23 appeared, he had given notice; and he spoke for about an hour and a half upon the subject. His oration was an eloquent one; and he sat down amongst the loud cheersof his party. Then, upon the Ministerial side rose Edwin St. Clair; anda profound silence prevailed. and I saw that through the duskiness of her gipsy-complexion the rich blood was mantling ; for though she loved not her husband, and though there continued to reign a species of strong, stern, tacit warfare between them, yet was she proud of him,—proud of being the wife of the Right Hon. Edwin St. Clair who was now about to command the attention of the listening senate! T must confess on my own part that much as I loathed and abhorred the character of this man— much as I had reason to deplore that an indivi- dual whose soul I knew to be blackened with crimes, should occupy a post of public authority— I was nevertheless inspired by curiosity to hear him ; for I had learnt how brilliant was his style of oratory and what a commanding genius he asa statesman possessed. I will also acknowledge that as he proceeded with his oration, I was so led away by his eloquence as to forget for intervals that it was a man of such a character who was speaking,—until I was suddenly startled as it were by the recollection. He began in a voice that was comparatively low, and yet so clear in its mas- culine harmony that not a syllable was lost even in the remote screened-off nook where I was seated. Presently a cheer burst forth from the Ministerial side of the House: then, as he re- sumed, he raised his voice—he became animated— his tones swelled—they rolled through the build- ing in continuous waves of harmonious sound; and when he again paused, the cheering was perfectly enthusiastic. He proceeded, sometimes breaking forth with withering sarcasm against his political opponents—but chiefly pursuing a line of argument most logically and closely reasoned, de- molishing one by one the statements set forth by the proposer of the amendment. Then again he indulged in bitter taunts and overwhelming sar- casms,—the fluctuations of his voice being most skilfully modulated so as to suzt the various styles of oratory which he thus successively in- troduced into his speech. Frequent cheers burst forth; and it soon became apparent that the effect he produced was immense. And now his eloquence became ornate with flowers | and metaphors: and this portion of his speech was surpassingly beautiful. He never hesitated for a word, and he never used an inappropriate one: he had the most perfect command of language—and yet there was not the slightest shadow of a proof that he had previously studied his speech. It seemed entirely to be the spontaneous effusion of the mind, evoked by the circumstances of the moment. Ashe stood there, elegantly dressed— looking in every sense the polished gentleman— his countenance glowing with the fervour that carried him onward, and with anticipated triumph, —as he sometimes drew his tall slender form up to its full height, and by his gestures as well as his words hurled defiance at his antagonists on the opposite benches—or as he burst forth into pas- sages of thrilling eloquence, full of argument and beauty,—as he stood there indeed, with the pres- tige of haying raised himself by his own talent to I glanced at Zarah,, I —_——__—_ ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIES OF AN ACTRESS. be what he was, I could not help thinking during & pause in his speech — but a pause that was occupied by loud cheering—how lamentable and shocking a thing it was that a man so highly gifted should be so inwardly depraved, and that a being capable of deeds the noblest and the grandest, should have condescended to the perpetration of the vilest and the worst. Ever and anon I glanced towards Zarah; and I perceived that her eyes were beaming and her cheeks were flushing with a triumph of her own. Full well could I understand what was passing in her mind. She was the wife of that man—she bore the name of him who was thus commanding the applause of the assembly of British represen- tatives! the glory which sat upon his brow was reflected on her own! The two hours that his speech lasted were two hours of pride and satisfaction for her; and when at length he sat down amidst bursts of loud cheering that was prolonged for several minutes, she hastily applied her kerchief | to her eyes: the strong-minded Zarah was for a moment overpowered by the very luxury of her feelings, — feelings of pride, and satisfaction, and triumph! The debate lasted until about half-past eleven o’clock : several Members took part in the discus- sion—but none spoke with the same effect as Edwin St. Clair. When the division ensued, the Government obtained an immense majority; and the Ministerial triumph was proclaimed in the newspapers of the following day to be entirely owing to the eloquent oration of the Right Honour. able Edwin St. Clair. For my own part, when I returned with Mary Glentworth on that evening from the House of Commons, it was with a certain depression of spirits: I felt shocked for humanity’s sake that a person of St. Clair’s genius should be the fiend-like, remorseless, unprincipled creature that I knew he was. On the following day a note from Mr. Wilkin- son compelled my attendance at his office; and I was therefore under the necessity of leaving a billet for Zarab, apologizing for my absence from home, and requesting her to favour me with a call on the day but one next ensuing (for on the fol- lowing day I was to accompany Mary Glentworth in her interview with Clarence Beauchamp). On arriving at Mr. Wilkinson’s offices, I found that he had not suffered the grass to grow under his feet; for he had already seen Major Gower’s solicitors, and they had given him to understand that their client was willing to compromise the matter amicably. They had however suggested that I should renounce two-thirds of the property on Major Gower’s behalf. To this arrangement Mr. Wilkinson by no means counselled me to agree; and he proposed that the whole property should be equally divided. I left the matter entirely to his discretion; and he promised that he would speedily communicate with Major Gower’s at- torneys. In the evening of that day I appeared at the theatre in some new character; but what it was I do not remember, for I accidentally omitted to re- cord it in the diary which I have been accus- tomed to keep, and which has formed the ground. work of the complete narrative which [am now giving to the public. The announcement, how- ever, of my appearance in this character for the ee ee eee CORNICLOOC) (E)