Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 234: what you’re looking at

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

ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. 221 ° . . . . . She at once rose from her seat, and came forward, ; exclaimed, perceiving that it was removed from tripping lightly down the two little steps by which | the spot where she had leftit. “When I am tired the entrance of the bower was reached. A smile | of working 7 appeared upon her beautifully formed mouth, as if, “I hope there was no indiscretion,” I said, “in expressing her readiness to render me any service | glancing into the volume 2 in her power. “Indiscretion? —no!” cried the young lady, “TI have to apologize most sincerely,” I said, | opening her beautiful large eyes still more widely “for my intrusion. I had merely intended to put | in evident astonishment at my observation. “ What an inquiry to your gardener : but on happening to | harm could there possibly be in looking at a book perceive that this beautiful summer-house was oc- | which anybody may read—and which I am sure,” cupied, I was encouraged to address myself to | she added emphatically, “ everybody who can read you.” ought to read !” “And I am sure I am very much pleased!’ re-| “Ah!” I ejaculated: “ this is your book ?” and plied the young lady, in a frank cordial tone. | therefore I was at once convinced that she was “But pray do not stand in the sun! Come in| Mary Glentworth herself; and I was pleased to and rest yourself ; for I see,” she added, glancing | have ascertained her name. ‘“Shakspere, I sup- down at the skirt of my dress, “that you have | pose, is a favourite of your’s?” been walking along the dusty road.” “If I were a silly romantic girl,” replied Miss “ Only from Dover,” I observed, as I accepted | Glentworth, laughing, “I should exclaim in a the young lady’s invitation and followed her into | paroxysm of enthusiam that I adore Shakspere. the summer-house, where we sat down together. | But to speak in more moderate language, I may *T am on my way toa place which can be at no | state that I take a greater pleasure in reading his great distance—I mean River House.” works than those of any other author. I would “Ah, Mrs. Oldcastle’s,” said the young lady. | give the world to see one of his plays represented “You are not far off —about half-a-mile—and I | on the stage! And if I dared envy any one— shall presently have the pleasure of indicating a | whom do you think I most envy on the face of the pathway through the fields. But let me offer vou | earth?” some refreshment—some wine-and-water cs ** T cannot possibly tell,” I said, smiling. “ Nothing, [ thank you. Ishall soonbeatmy} “ Well, then, I will enlighten you in respect to destination.” these whimsical ideas of mine,” continued Miss “Oh! but you must taste our fine strawberries,’ | Glentworth, in the same spirit of frank and exclaimed the young lady, with as much artless | friendly good humour. “I would sooner be Miss ingenuous cordiality as if our acquaintance had | Trafford than any Queen that is seated upon a been one of weeks or months instead of minutes;| throne! I have read so much about her in the and before I could stop her, she had bounded | newspapers and literary reviews, that I not only down the steps, and was gliding across the grass- | admire her genius, but also her beauty of person plat, which her beautifuliy shaped feet seemed | and her general character. Yet I have never seen scarcely to touch. her She was gone therefore before I could ejaculate | quired. a syllable to detain her. I mechanically took up| I thought it unnecessary to tell the young lady the book which lay upon a bench; and to my sur- | who I was; for I did not wish to direct more prise I found that it was one of those editions | attention than I could help to River House, where of Shakspere which contain only the particular | I was about to sojourn, for fear lest I should mul- dramas that may be read without offence to the , tiply the chances of Juliet’s secret being dis- modesty. I saw that several passages had pencil- | covered. I therefore said somewhat evasively, marks against them, as if indicative of the reader’s | “ Yes—I have seen her occasionally. But now, admiration and for more easy reference in future. | Miss Glentworth, I must take my leave of The parts thus noted bore strong testimony to the ; you.” taste of whomsvever had made them; and I won- “Oh, do not go for a few minutes!” she ex- dered whether I might therewith associate my | claimed. “We are just touching upon a topic charming new acquaintance. On the fly-leaf of | that is so interesting tor me! You can tell me the book was written, in a sweet feminine hand, | about Miss Trafford the name of Mary Glentworth. *‘ Another time, Miss eee I answered : I had scarcely time to put down the volume, | “ for I am going to stay afew weeks in this neigh- when the young lady came tripping back to the | bourhood—and rest assured that after the kind summer-house, with a quantity of large freshly- | reception you have given me, [ shall not fail to gathered strawberries piled up on a plate which | pay my respects to you again. Perhaps, however, she had made of vine leaves, and which she held | you know Mrs. Oldcastle P—you visit at River ia her two fair white hands. Hlouse?”—and yet even as I*spoke I thought it “There!” she said, as she deposited her little | could scarcely oe so; for if it were, Juliet would burden upon the table: “you must do me the| hardly have failed to mention in her letters that pleasure to taste them—they are so refreshing! I) she had formed the acquaintance of so sweet and tried to see if I could find an apricot for you—but | amiable a being as Mary Glentworth. they are not yet quite ripe.” *T only know Mrs, Oldcastle by sight,” she re- There was something so cordial, so ingenuous,| plied. ‘“ Mamma does not visit any one in the and frank-hearted in the young lady’s manner, | neighbourhood: she tells me that she is not fond that I felt as if I had already known her for a| of society;—and as I have no friends nor com- considerable time; and in order to please her, I! panions, I am thrown entirely on my own re partook of the fruit. sources. These however do not fail me: for be- “Oh! you have been looking at my book,” she) tween my work and my books and a few little Have you?’ she somewhat abruptly in- se CORNIECLAOO CS) Com