Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 164: what you’re looking at

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

Ce ‘ a - --_---- er oe ee eee 8 A ae ‘ ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. 151 LLL on a mere pretext and without being engaged to | upon the proceedings that are passing beiore any other. Now, however, I began to think that | her ?” I was improperly taxing the Marquis of Dal- “Would you tell me my fortune?” she in- rymple’s kindness: for not knowing that I was | quired, with that aristocratic affability which had a Ellen Percy, he might fancy I was some actress of | tincture of condescension in it, although she might perhaps an inferior grade, with whom he could not | naturally suppose that she was conversing with an possibly care to associate himself. But his manner | equal. throughout the dance was most courteous and most “JT know not, beauteous Rebecca,” I re- kind. He seemed to study to take all the conver- , sponded, “that I shall be enabled to tell your sation upon himself and make me speak as little as | fortune: — for this means that I am to sketch possible: he never once looked at me as with a | forth your eventual career—whereas it is written desire to penetrate behind the concealment of my | in the book of destiny that your future from a cer- mask: nor did he even make the slightest allusion | tain given starting-point is to depend upon your- to the peculiar circumstances in which I found self. You stand as it were upon the entrance of myself a guest beneath that ducal roof. I was | two diverging roads; and therefore whichsoever profoundly touched by the generosity and delicate | you may choose to enter upon, will conduct consideration of the young nobleman’s entire con- duct ; and from the very bottom of my heart did I, in its silent aspirations, wish Herbert Dalrymple the utmost amount of happiness that could possi- bly become the lot of a mortal being. Scarcely was the quadrille concluded, when he through the chequered and varying scenery pecu- liar to itself.” Lady Cecilia Urban, evidently regarding this discourse as the mere jargon which I deemed suit- able to my assumed character, smiled, and said, * But if you be indeed a prophetess, can you mot said to me, “ Lady Cecilia is now alone. Hasten to | suggest which of the two roads it were preferable avail yourself of the opportunity !’—and this was | for me to take, and which ought to be avoided ?” the only reference he made during the dance to “The vocation of the veritable and truthful the purpose which had brought me to the masked | gipsy,” I answered, with a certain solemnity, “is ball. to hold out warnings as well as to be profuse in I quitted him, and sped towards the spot where | promises ;—and this is the task which I will now, Lady Cecilia was now standing ; for she had moved | with your permission, enter upon.” away from the ottoman on which I had previously seen her seated. As I have already said, she was dressed as Rebecca, the heroine of Scott’s magni- ficent novel of “ Ivanhoe.” “You grow serious,” said Lady Cecilia. “Tt is a serious subject,” I rejoined. “In the midst of the giddiest scenes of life it were well For this character she | sometimes that solemn thoughts should intrude. savas admirably adapted by her figure: and but for | Let us step aside; and you may perhaps become the vizard which she wore, the aquiline profile of | more interested in my discourse than you may her countenance would have been even still more appropriate. Her dress, rich and handsome, cor- responded with the sumptuous toilet of the Jew’s now expect or anticipate.” I could see that the dark lustrous eyes of Lady Cecilia Urban were fixed upon me with a scruti- daughter; and as her complexion was naturally | nizing look, through the holes of the mask,—as if pale, with the slightest and most delicate tint of | she sought to penetrate whether I were only ad- the brunette, as much as could be seen thereof— | hering simply to my assumed character, or whether namely, on the neck and arms—was likewise in perfect keeping with the personification she had chosen for the occasion. She wore a mask of the usual description, descending only to the upper I had any ulterior purpose in view. At the same time I could discern that her lips grew serious: they closed—and the line of ivory was no longer visible between the parting of their cherry red- lip, and bordered on the lower edge by a silken ness. fringe. Thus the fulness and cherry hue of those “ Come this way,” she said. “I think I know lips were partially visible; and presently, as her , where we may be alone.” breath blew aside the silken fringe, glimpses of the | | door admitted us into a room evidently appro- brilliant teeth were likewise caught below the mask. She evidently studied not very particularly | to conceal her identity: she doubtless felt that the We passed out upon the landing; and a side- priated for the accommodation of those ladies whose toilets might become in any way disordered superb symmetry of her figure was set off to the | during the recreations of the evening, and who utmost advantage by the costume that she wore; | might wish to retire for the purpose of adjusting and her natural pride rendered it by no means dis- | them, As Lady Cecilia had expected, we were agreeable that it should be suspected who she | alone there together: she closed the door; and really was. Still, however, I should not have been still speaking in the feigned voice which she had able, without the assistance of the Marquis, to re- all along assumed, she said, “Are you really cognise her with any degree of certainty: for serious in wishing to make some communica- amidst the six or seven hundred guests who were | tion?” present, there were many ladies of a figure, a height, and a symmetry bearing a strong resem- blance to her own. Lady Cecilia was now standing alone, and a little apart from the nearest group of masquerad- ing guests. I accosted her—and said in a feigned tone, but with the gay raillery which was suitable to the scene, “ How is it that the beauteous Re- becca is thus alone P—or does she remain here the better to contemplate and to make her reflections “T am really serious,’ I answered, likewise continuing to speak in disguised accents. “You know me, then P” said Lady Cecilia. “ Yes—I know your ladyship,” I rejoined. “ And after all,” she immediately continued, now speaking in her natural voice, and with a laugh that was slightly scornful, “there is in this recognition no very remarkable proof of your divining qualities: for I have scarcely studied to conceal my identity—not one hundredth part as Com ELNOOLK (SOU