Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 273: what you’re looking at

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

260 ~~ ee me + te eee + SE [Pipa ee ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. ——— « Anything that lies in my power would I do to serve you, Miss Percy,” said the Earl: “but there is one circumstance 4 * Alas, I know what you mean, mylord! My unhappy father fled from the far-off penal colony 4 . “ It is this that constitutes the only difficulty,” | remarked Lord Carshalton, in a musing manner. “ If the whole affair were to remain private—and if your father would content himself with having his free pardon granted, but that it should not be paraded in the newspapers, it would be altogether different. I however presume his object would be to give publicity to the fact; and this would call down upon the Government such animadver- sion on the part of the liberal press, that I fear the Secretary of State would hardly venture to run such a risk by granting such a boon.” If I had not interrupted this speech almost at the very outset, it was because hope was again so | vividly excited within me that my emotions choked the power of utterance. At length I said, in a tone of fervid and grateful enthusiasm, “ Oh, my | lord! there is no difficulty! Secrezy is above ail | things to be desired: whereas, on the other hand, | the publicity of the act would almost disincline | me to behold it accomplished at all. If it be pos- sible to procure this pardon for my unfortunate father, it would at least enable him to return in safety to England—without the fear er “ Enough, Miss Percy!” said the Earl of Car- shalton: “consider this as good as done. In a few days you shall receive your father’s pardon. Tbe Countess and myself will respect your secret ; and never from our lips shall it go forth to the world—no, not even to our own children.” | TT expressed my warmest thanks for the promise held out and the assurances thus given to me; and when I had recovered from the almost over- powering effect of the joyous emotiors which were agitating in my soul, Lrose to take my departure, But the Earl and Countess insisted on keeping me with them a little longer: luncheon was served up ——and we discoursed on a variety of subjects. ** By the bye,” said the Earl of Carshalton, after a brief pause in the conversation, “I could not help noticing that sweetly interesting attendant of your’s who travelled with you on the occasion when you rendered me the important service for which I am so deeply grateful. Icould not help looking at that young girl—I hope that neither you nor she thought me rude: but there was a certain reason # , “The truth is, my dear Miss Percy,” said the Countess, “his lordship has before told me how interested he was in that beautiful little maid of your’s. It struck him that she was of gipsy origin —or at least that there was Zingari blood in her veins ; and we,” she added in a graver tone, “ have the best possible reason to believe that if amongst the gipsies there are bad qualities, so on the other hand there are good ones,” “Yes,” I answered ; “ his lordship was right :— that interesting dependant of mine is of gipsy origin.” “T will tell you, Miss Percy,” continued the Countess, “ why both his lordship and myself are always interested when we behold a gipsy—and we make it a rule never to suffer one to pass us without affording some proof of this interest, which emittias nee adie as <2 rc ee a indeed takes the form of gratitude. Our son Lord Frederick, when a child, was stolen from his nurse —we were staying then at our country-seat near Embledon “Ah!” I ejaculated, as an idea flashed to my mind: “this is indeed most singular! Methinks I can continue the narrative which your ladyship has commenced. The stolen child was restored to you: and you generously allowed an annuity to the gipsies who afforded you this happiness,” “True, Miss Percy !” cried the Countess. “ But how came you acquainted with an incident of which his lordship and myself have so rarely spoken except within the circle of our own family ?” “T learnt that tale from the lips of the little maiden whose appearance so much interested your lordship: for she,” I continued, “is the daughter of those persons who restored your child and to whom you allowed an annuity.” “This is indeed most remarkable!” exclaimed the Earl of Carshalton. “The name of that man who restored us our child, was Robinson.” “ And my youthful dependant’s name is Beda Robinson,” I answered. “ Aided by the annuity which your lordship allowed, her parents were enabled to live in what may be termed a respect- able manner for gipsy-people. From all that I have heard relative to them, they were honest and upright-——” : “ But if I had known where to find their daughter,” exclaimed the Earl, “ I would have con- tinued that same annuity to her. It was but twenty pounds a year: it used to be paid in half yearly portions—my steward at Embledon Park was entrusted with this duty—and I think it was about six or seven years ago that Robinson ceased to call for his stipend.” “Tt was at about that time he and his wife died,” I responded. ‘They were cut off suddenly, by some malignant fever, within two or three days ef one another; and Beda was removed to another place the instant the malady developed itself, for fear that she should catch it. I have heard all these particulars from Beda’s own lips; and from the details which I have thus gathered, it is to be presumed that her father and mother must have been so suddenly prostrated by the deadly malady as to incapacitate them from making on their daughter’s behalf a revelation which might have proved serviceable to her. All she knows is that her parents received an annuity from some rich personages: but she is in complete ignorance of | the name of the Earl of Carshalton in connexion | with that bounty.” “The obligation under which we lay to her parents was so great,” rejoined the nobleman, “that we should cheerfully have continued the annuity to their daughter. Indeed, when I learnt that Robinson had suddenly ceased to call for his money, I instructed my steward to make all pos- sible inquiries concerning him: but these were ef no avail. I need not now ask whether the daughter of those gipsies is a deserving girl: it is sufficient that she is in your service, Miss Percy, to convince me of her merit. Jam now prepared to do for her whatever you may recommend. Shall I continue the annuity ?” “She requires it not, my lord,” I answered: ‘she is well provided for in my service. Indeed she is so faithful and affectionate, that I have CORNICLOOOKS. CGO