Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 43: what you’re looking at

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NN —— ccc HT ee 30 ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. inquiries for me. She descended—knocked at the door—and remained for a few minutes in conyer- sation with the footman who opened if Then she returned to me, saying in a hurried manner, “ Mrs. St. Clair is much injured—she is in a dan- gerous state—two or three physicians are with her —but the servant does not as yet know of what nature the injuries are, nor to what extent they have reached.” By this time several other carriages came driv- ing up to the house; for many persons who were at the theatre at the timeof the dreadful occur- rence, were thus coming to make the same in- quiries which had led me thither. I at once per- ceived that if would be indiscreet on my part to ask to see Zarah; and I accordingly, though with considerable reluctance, gave orders to return home. On reaching Great Ormond Street, I sent the carriage to convey Aline Marcy back to the theatre, where Lady Kelvedon’s equipage was to be ‘in attendance to fetch her to Eaton Square. I passed asad anxious night—sleeping but little, and then only feverishly; and as early as eight o'clock in the morning I sent off the coachman in a cab to the Regent’s Park to make inquiries relative to Mrs. St. Clair. But before the do- mestic returned, I obtained, through the medium of the morning newspapers, a deeper insight than I already possessed into the hideous transaction. I read a paragraph which was couched in the fol- lowing terms :— *DIABOLICAL OUTRAGE.—We regret to be compelled to record a most diabolical outrage which was last night perpetrated against Mrs. St. Clair, wife of the Right Honourable Edwin St. Clair. It appears that the lady and her husband visited the Theatre Royal , to witness the performance of the accomplished Miss Trafford. When the drama was over, the Right Honourable gentleman and his lady were preparing to quit the theatre, when just at the very moment that the former was handing the latter into the carriage, a quantity of corrosive fluid was thrown from be- hind the equipage. Cries of pain burst from the lips of Mrs. St. Clair—ejaculations of horror from those of her husband and the bystanders. A rush was made to capture the miscreant who had per- petrated the fiend-like deed: but he darted away with incredible celerity, and succeeded in effecting his escape. ‘This was all the more remarkable in- asmuch as he was dressed in a strange mounte- bank garb which rendered him conspicuous, Mrs. St. Clair was immediately conveyed in the car- riage to the residence of the nearest surgeon, by whom if was soon ascertained that she bad suf- fered severely from the effects of the corrosive fluid. Indeed we regret to state that this lady’s countenance, so remarkable for its beauty, is threatened with complete disfigurement. We have instituted inquiries until the latest moment before going to press, at which time the miscreant was not captured: but the police were actively en- gaged in his pursuit, and it is hoped that by the time this statement comes under the notice of our readers he will be in custody. There is reason to believe that this is not the only crime which may be brought against him; but that a deed of still darker iniquity will be laid to his charge, We allude to the murder of the Count of Carboni, an Italian nobleman, who some months ago was hurled from the cliffs at Dover. Only vague con- jectures can be formed in reference to any pro- bable reason which might have instigated the vil- lain to make this atrocious attack upon Mrs. St. Clair; nor is it even certain that it was intended expressly for herself instead of her husband, In- deed, it is surmised that the latter may have been the real object of the wretch’s vengeance; for it will not be forgotten that on a recent occasion the Right Honourable gentleman animadverted very strongly from his place in parliament on the secret machinations which were going on in this country on the part of certain Italian refugee desperadoes whose ideas and hopes are to excite the flame of revolution in Italy. It is not there- fore improbable that political vengeance may have instigated a deed of which the Right Honourable gentleman’s wife has become the victim instead of that gentleman himself. We need hardly add that Mrs. St. Clair is totally unaware of haying ever given umbrage to the vile author of this crime; and therefore the hypothesis we have just set forth, and which ascribes the deed to a political vengeance directed against her husband, seems all the more probable.” Scarcely had I read this paragraph, when the coachman came back; and the tidings which he brought most painfully corroborated all the worst fears which I already entertained on poor Zarah’s account. It appeared from the inquiries he had made, that Zarah was shockingly burnt upon the face, neck, and bosom—that the sight of one eye was entirely destroyed—and that the loss of the other was apprehended. In a word, her beauty was ruined, and her life was pronounced to be in danger. I was greatly distressed on receiving this intelligence; and my first impulse was to order the carriage that I might hasten to Zarah’s abode and offer to bestow the most assiduous at- tentions upon my poor friend: but a second thought induced me to recall the mandate. I reflected that perbaps it might be imprudent to take astep which would at once show the world on what intimate terms Zarah and I had been to- gether; and I also thought that if she required my presence, she would send for me. She could not fail to know that I had left my card on the preceding evening, and that I had sent again at an early hour in the morning to make inquiries concerning her; and her natural intelligence would enable her to understand the motives which pre- vented me from. personally seeking her. I should add that Mary Glentworth—who, as I have al- ready said, was acquainted with Zarah—expe- rienced much generéus sympathy on her behalf. The day was passing, and as no message came I sent up in the evening to make fresh inquiries. My messenger returned with the intelligence that Mrs. St. Clair was much worse, and that her life was almost despaired of. I procured the evening paper; and I thereby learnt that Luigi was still at large, and that the endeavours of the police to discover him had as yet proved ineffectual. I was reflecting with a sad depression of spirits upon my unfortunate friend’s calamity, when at about eight o’clock in the evening her own confidential maid arrived, with a request that I would immediately hasten to see her mistress, who, it was supposed Gomichboo