Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 156: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

— SS et ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMGIRS OF AN ACTRESS. 143 starting up from her seat. ‘“ Though perhaps the | law would not recognise me, yet morally and in) CHAPTER XXVII. the sight of heaven am [I his wife !” | “ No—it shall not take place?” said Mr. Nor- | THE PARK. map, resolutely. ‘ God knows I am not vindic- | tive, but it is impossible to remain silent and Ir was close upon four o’clock in the afternoon of suffer a young, wealthy, beautiful, and perhaps the appointed day, when I entered St. James's confiding creature to be sacrificed to a man of Park, It being the early part of the month of whom I might speak in the harshest terms!” | February, the dusk was already beginning to close “Lady Cecilia Urban is, I have heard, an | in—the weather was raw and misty—and though orphan,” said Mrs. Norman; “and it would be well wrapped up in a thick shawl and with good cruel on our part to suffer her to be thus sacri- | furs, I nevertheless shuddered with the chill. ficed.” | Just as I entered the iron gate of the enclosure, “ But remember,” I said, thinking it was now | a gentleman who was passing me rapidly, seemed my turn to speak, “that the terms which you, | to start and even to stop short for a moment, as Juliet, dictated to Lord Frederick Ravenscliffe, it he recognised me despite the dark veil which I were complete forbearance on both sides. If you! wore. But who he was I knew not: for the collar proclaim war against Lord Frederick Ravenscliffe, | of his paletot was put up, so that it completely he will no longer respect the secret which we have | concealed all the lower part of his countenance, all been so anxious to maintain.” while his hat shaded the upper part. Indeed he Juliet sat down, and hung her head in despon- | passed so rapidly on again that I fancied I must dency. Mrs. Norman passed her kerchief across | have been mistaken in supposing he had recog- her eyes: Mr. Norman reflected sadly and deeply. | nised me. At length he said, “It is true that our first consi- I soon thought no more of the circumstance, as deration is the maintenance of a secret which so | I sped towards the spot where I was to meet my closely regards our own feelings: but the next | father. This was at the back of the ornamental consideration is to save a confiding young lady | water, on the side of the Park which is bounded from sacrificing herself to one who assuredly will | by the Birdcage Walk. I only met two or threo not render her happiness his study. It isa sub- | stragglers during my walk from the gate to the ject that requires the most delicate and serious re- | place of appointment; and thus I was relieved of flection.” much apprehension on finding how deserted was Nothing more was said on the topic for that or | the scene where the interview was to take place. the following day: but the morning of the day| My father was there in readiness, waiting to re- next ensuing brought me a letter from my father. | ceive me. He wore a thick over-coat, and had a He therein stated that he had just learnt the in- | shawl kerchief concealing all the lower part of his telligence that Lord Frederick Ravenscliffe was to | face: so that recognition of him was by no means marry Lady Cecilia Urban, but that he was re-|easy. He folded me in his arms, and hastened to solved to prevent the alliance. For this reason he | say, “Chide me not, dear Ellen, for thus daring had made up his mind at all risks to return to | danger by coming to England: but»I felt that L London ; and he bade me meet him in St. James’s | had a duty to perform.” Park, at four o’clock on the day following the one | “And yet you know, my dear father,’ I an- on which the letter thus reached me. swered, “from all I have told you in my letters I was still in my own chamber when the epistle | that the Normans are most anxious to keep the was brought to me by the lady’s-maid ; and it was | secret = fortunate that it reached me there—for ifit had| “And naturally so,’ interrdpted Mr. Croft. been at the breakfast-table my emotions would | “ But what if it be not betrayed by them ?—what have betrayed themselves. I was frightened and | excuse in that case would tie villain Ravenscliffo afflicted at this resolve which my father had taken; | have in making a boast of his treatment of your although on the other hand there was a reason for 'friend Juliet? Besides, does not the threat of the entertainment of satisfaction, inasmuch as it | invoking the vengeance gf the law against him proved that he himself was sincerely contrite, and | always hold good? No, no!—believe me, Ellen, that he deemed it his duty to punish the indivi- | he for his own sake will keep the secret. Hven dual in whose perfidious schemes he had become | amongst his own set such black treachery as that perforce inveigled. I determined to remain pro- | of which he was guilty is but a sorry subject for foundly secret in respect to the contents of his idle bravado. And then there is another reason, letter ; and I composed my features before joining | It is true that the gown of a clergyman was taken the family at the breakfast-table. The subject of | from my back when the law smote me as a felon: the intended marriage of Lord Frederick and Lady | but how can he proye it? ‘There is no record of Cecilia was not again alluded to; and an equal | such a transaction; and if he came to deal with silence was maintained on the following day with | the law, he might find it more difficult than he regard to it. Mr. and Mrs. Norman, as well as anticipates to prove that he is no¢ legally and in- Juliet, evidently thought that the secret which | dissolubly united to your friend Juliet.” they so much desired to preserve, could not pos- “T acknowledge, father, the weight of all these sibly remain safe if they were to proclaim warfare | reasonings,’ I said: “but what course would you against Lord Frederick Ravenscliffe. adopt P” “T myself, Ellen,” he answered, “shall call upon Lady Cecilia Urban and teil her every- — thing. Yes—I am resolved to do so; and rest assured that my tale will effectually bar this con- tewplated alliance. I have with me the proof EOMIEMOO 6S Com