Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 23: what you’re looking at

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10 for the reputation of her deceased master—I readily promised to follow her counsel. In the evening of the ensuing day my aunt and cousin arrived at the house; and with tears again streaming from my eyes, was I received in their embrace. Few were the questions put to me in reference to my grandfather’s death. I answered them in accordance with the recommendations of the housekeeper; and not being pressed on any particular point, there was not the slightest neces- sity for evasion, much less untruthfulness on my part. CHAPTER III. VARIOUS CHANGES OF CIRCUMSTANCES. THE funeral took place in a very quiet and private manner; for the deceased had no friends to follow his remains to the grave, and no relatives nor family-connexions besides myself, Mrs. Wakefield, and Harry. Mrs. Parks however begged of my aunt asa favour that her son Thomas might be allowed to attend the interment,—the old women alleging that he had always been yery much at- tached to the deceased. As for myself, I was oyer- whelmed with affliction when I beheld the coffin borne out of the house; and it was long ere Mrs. Wakefield could succeed in consoling me, Hyvyen then I begged that I might be permitted to shut myself up alone in my chamber for a few hours ; —and this I did. It was evening when I descended again to the parlour; and there I found Mrs. Parks seated with her son, Mrs. Wakefield, and Herry. My aunt wept as she strained me in her arms; and f could not help thinking that there was in her earesses the evidence of a commiseration and compassion for some reason apart from the actual loss whieh | r I had sustained in the death of my ther. _My cousin Henry too looked profoundly mournful ; “arfd tears were glistening in his brown eyes as they were bent in sadness upon me. Then . Parks declared over and over again that she would do everything to promote my happiness; and I thanked her with all the sincerity of my young, trustful, inexperienced heart. On the following day, shortly after breakfast, I found myself alone with my aunt and cousin; and the former said to me, “ We are going to bid you farewell, dear Ellen, in the course of an hour or two.” “ Bid me farewell P” I exclaimed, bursting into tears; for allin a moment a subject on which I had hitherto scarcely thought was excited in my mind: namely, where and with whom I was thenceforth to live? “Yes, my dear child,” answered Mrs. Wake- field, who was evidently much affected, though she endeavoured to conceal her emotions as well as she could; “ your deceased grandfather made cer- tain arrangements which must be carried out. Al- though I have not been selected as the guardian of your welfare, it is not the less dear to me on that account. Mrs, Parks has consulted me—we haye discoursed together—and she has sketched out a plan of which I completely approve. You will have opportunities for instruction such as have ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. hitherto been unknown to you; and I am con- vinced that you will avail yourself of them. Do not weep, dearest Ellen! I know that you love me—and your cousin Harry likewise It is hard for you to separate from us——but circum- stances are imperative—and this is a trial which- your heart has to bear !” I was weeping bitterly, and my voice was choked with convulsing sobs. My aunt and Harry wept also; and the latter vehemently ex- claimed, “ Why, dear mother, cannot Ellen come and liye with us altogether P” “You are both too young to haye all these things explained to you,” answered Mrs. Wake- field: ‘‘ but rest assured that if everything be not as I could have wished, it is at least according to an authority which I cannot dispute. You will write to us frequently, Ellen——-And remember, my dear child—remember,” added Mrs, Wakefield impressively, “if you should eyer have any cause for unhappiness, you must not hesitate to open our heart to me.’ But I will not linger upon this seene. Suffice if to say that in another hour or two I was com- pelled to bid adieu to jmy aunt and eousin: many, many tears on both sides were shed; and when the door closed behind them, I felt as if my young heart must burst in twain. ; Thomas Parks still remained at the house; and for the ensuing ten days did he sojourn there. Then he took his departure; and on leaying, I heard him say to his mother that they should shortly meet in London, When he was gone Mrs. Parks asked me if I should like to visit the metro- polis P—and I believe I answered in the affirma- tive; though it was a matter of complete indif- ference fe me whither I went or where I lived, so unba was I. At the iration of a week Mrs. Parks told me to go and bid farewell to Mrs. aye as we were about to depart from Leeds and to London. The worthy old schoolmistress e d me affectionately, and gave me some good adyice—though she wound up by observing that she scarcely thought it was needful, as I was so good a girl. I thanked her for all the kindness she had shown me; and the farewell scene was another trial for my young heart. » On the following day I set out with Mrs. Parks for London. We travelled inside the stage-coach ; for there were then no lines of railway connecting the great manufacturing towns with the metro- polis ;—and a tedious journey it was, for I had no heart to derive any charm from its novelty. On arriving in London, we proceeded at once to lodg- ings which Thomas Parks had engaged for our re- ception, and where indeed he himself was already located. They were handsome and commodious apartments; and I wondered how Mrs. Parks could afford to occupy such fine lodgings: for I believed that my grandfather had died poor, and I could not therefore comprehend how his house- keeper could be well off. But I asked no questions —and no explanations were volunteered. A fort- night was spent in visiting the various public buildings; and the interest afforded thereby, tended to mitigate the affliction which from various cir- cumstances I experienced. At the expiration of that interval Mrs, Parks took me toa very large establishment for young ladies in the neighbourhood of Chelsea; and I was SD Sr eee Gomiicbook com