Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 184: what you’re looking at

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

ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOILS OF AN ACTRESS. I remained at home. A note was presently de- Vivered to me. It was from Frances Howard ; and the handwriting was beautifully lady-like. It an- nounced the success of her interview with Mr. Richards; and it contained the warmest expres- sions of gratitude for my friendly intervention in her behalf. Juliet and I sat with Mrs. Oldcastle in the drawing-room; and it occurred to me that the elderly lady was fidgetting somewhat, as if she sought an opportunity to speak to me alone, At length she intimated that if either Juliet or my- self wished to retire to any other room, or amuse ourselves elsewhere in any way, she hoped that her presence would not prove a restraint upon us. I seized an opportunity to whisper to Juliet, “ Leave us together for half-an-hour: I am con- vinced Mrs. Oldcastle wishes to speak to me alone!” Juliet shortly afterwards retired on some pre- text ; and when the door closed behind her, I ob- served that Mrs. Oldcastle surveyed me with a scrutinizing attention. * Miss Percy,’ at length she said, “I want to have a little conversation with you. I wonder whether you will deal frankly and candidly with me ?” I knew not precisely what answer to make; and while I was reflecting, Mrs. Oldcastle continued in the following manner :— “You already know that for a long series of years I have remained aloof from my relatives. I have been estranged from them. To speak candidly, I hated and loathed the stage: but with an equal honest frankness will I admit that my sojourn be- neath this roof has tended to disabuse me of much of that prejudice. For some little time past I have been thinking that perhaps I was wrong to discard my relatives altogether: I felt that old age and infirmities were creeping over me: and I thought it was time that I should look around to decide who is to inherit whatsoever I may have to ieave. Icame to London to see the Normans; and this day I was prepared to adopt Juliet as my heiress. But things have been taking place which I cannot comprehend: mystery has enveloped the scenes that have been passing around me. First of all I comprehended that my name had been made use of by the Normans in some manner utterly at variance with the truth: but I was dis- posed to overlook this circumstance,—trusting that when it should be sooner or later explained, the object of the untruth would be found to be of a yenial character. You saw therefore that I shielded my relatives from exposure in the presence of that gossiping Mrs. Armstrong. But they reiused to accept the proposition which I made that Juliet should accompany me—I cannot understand it ! Now, Miss Percy, it is from your lips only that I choose to seek explanations; and I tell youtrankly that in the hour which is passing Juliet’s tate will be decided, so far as I am concerned—I mean whether at my death she shall be an heiress or not P” * Would it not be better, madam,” I replied, Seriously embarrassed, “that you should require explanations from Mr. Norman P” “it does not suit me to do so, Miss Percy,” re- plied Mrs. Oldcastle severely. “The Normans have evidently been telling untruths of some kind ‘ 171 or another: but from yowr lips I have not once heard a single syllable to make me mistrust the sincerity of your character, ‘To you therefore do I address myself. You have admitted that there are explanations to give: I now desire to know whether you will give them.” “ Granting that there be family secrets, Mrs. Oldcastle,” I said, “ you must comprehend that it is not for me, who enjoy a home beneath this roof, to betray them.” The old lady reflected for some moments, during which she continued to sit upright, as prim and as starch as if she were an old maid, and her mouth Ominously pursed up. “There are family secrets—eh?” she resumed, after a long silence; ‘and these secrets are to be concealed from the knowledge of the old aunt. Then what inference can IdrawP Only one!— which is that these secrets involve some circum. stance but little creditable to Juliet.” “T declare to you, madam,” I vehemently ex- claimed, “ your grand-niece is as good and honour- able a young woman re “ T believe you, Miss Percy!” interrupted Mrs. Oldcastle ; “ and I offer you a thousand thanks for the assurance.—Juliet is good and honourable,” she continued in a musing strain ; “yet she is eyvl- dently unhappy—the cause of her unhappiness 18 kept a secret-—-aud what in this world is ever con- nected with the unhappiness of young women un- less it be some love-affair ?”’ She bent her eyes inquiringly upon me: but I remained silent. “ Some months ago,” continued Mrs, Oldcastle, again in a musing manner, “it was alleged that Juliet came on a visit to me at Dover. Doubtless this was a pretext to account for her absence from home. For what reason could a young female need such a pretext P Ab, Miss Percy! unless your friend Juliet be privately married, I fear that you yourself can have scarcely spoken the truth when you proclaimed her to be so good and virtuous !” “ Madam,” I ejaculated, “I am utterly inca- pable of deceiving you on such a point.. But you must not catechise me thus!” “ Listen, Miss Percy!’ said the old lady. “If Juliet be really all you have represented her, she deserves to become my heiress: but it is impossi- ble that in utter ignorance ofall the circumstances which surround her, I can bequeath her whatso- ever fortune I may have to leave. She is evidently unhappy. You tell me that she has not erred. Then she may be unfortunate P—and if unfortu- nate, why should her misiurtunes be concealed from me as if they were crimes? The destiny of Juliet is veritably in your hands at the present moment, Remain silent, and I drop the subject for ever: but deal with me frankly, and 1 declare that if Juliet be only unfortunate, and not erring, I will fulfil towards her all the intentions which a few hours ago I had harboured.” At this moment a female servant entered; and addressing me, she suid, ‘If you please, Miss, will you go to Miss Norman? for I am sure she 1s very unwell,” I started up from my chair; and Mrs. Oldcastle, likewise rising, said, “ Miss Perey, I will accom- pany you.” ' I dared not offer any objection; and we hastened CORNIECLOO Com