Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 332: what you’re looking at

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ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. arms :she embraced me with the utmost fervour —she covered my cheeks with kisses, as well as with the tears of joy which flowed from her eyes. Then she sank, exhausted with her feelings, upon a chair. Mrs. Norman embraced me; and Mr. Norman, pressing my hand, said, “ Heaven bless you, Eijlen! You are a good angel to us!” There was a pause, during which we all gave, way to the emotions that were agitating within us —until at length Mr. Norman asked, “ But how came all this about? Surely it was not of his own free will A “Oh, no!” exclaimed Juliet: “we ¢annot for an instant suppose it! I am fully prepared to learn that Frederick is acting under coercion. But no matter! To become a wife—to be relieved from the horrible apprehension that the secret of my shame may at any moment by an accident be revealed “Ves—he is acting under coercion,” I said; “ and that coercion is of the strongest kind! You know him who bore the name of Croft——Oh! give not utterance to harsh epithets towards him ! —he is now making every atonement—it is to him that you are indebted for this sudden and happy change!” “Then for the good he is now doing,’ said Mr. Norman, “we wiil pardon him the whole amount of past evil.” “ Yes—we will! we will!” exclaimed Mrs. Nor- man, with equal enthusiasm. “Ob, most cheerfully! most eheerfully!” cried Juliet, with all the mingled nervousness and ex- citement of feelings agitated by hope, suspense, joy, and gratitude. “‘ Now prepare yourselves,” I said, in a solemn tone, “to hear something of a startling character, —something which if I have so long concealed from you, it has been through no want of confi- dence—no deficiency of friendly feeling—but from a motive which perhaps you will easily compre- hend. Ina word, he whom you know as Mr. Croft—he whom you have so generously pro- claimed your intention of forgiving he is my own father !”’ Ejaculations of astonishment burst from the lips of Juliet and her mother; but Mr. Norman stood regarding me with a vacant and bewildered expression of countenance. “ Ves—it is so!” I continued; “itisso! The discovery was made when [I went to Embledon sonte few months after that deplorable proceeding in which my unfortunate father assisted—for he has been unfortunate——” “No matter, Ellen!” exclaimed Juliet, the tears flowing from her eyes,—*“ no matter that he should have been an accessory ininjuring me! He is now repairing the mischief to the extent of his power—and Ob! even if it were otherwise, I should for your sake forgive him !” * Generous friend!’ I murmured, embracing Julies warmly: and I received similarly kind assurances from her parents. “He is in the house at this moment,’ I said, wiping away the tears that were trickling also from my own eyes. “ He and Lord Frederick are together—they are in the drawing-room—and the young nobleman is completely under the influence of my father. But I should explain to you that my father was once.a clergyman—tbrough certain 319 irregularities of life he fell from his position as a gentleman—and when he performed that ceremony which was the cause of your unhappiness, Juliet, he was not lawfully capable of solemnizing it. But now all shall be repaired—all atoned for; and to- morrow shall we greet you as Lady Frederick Ravenscliffe !” After a little more conversation, I left the Nor- mans in the dining-room, and ascended to the drawing-room. There I found my father placed near the door, evidently for the purpose of pre- venting any sudden escape on the part of the young nobleman. As for Lord Frederick himself, he was seated on a sofa on the opposite side of the apartment,—his face buried in his hands, and his elbows resting upon his knees. He did not hear the door open: he was not aware of my presence until [ began to address him. “My lord,” I said, “Juliet and her parents have returned home: I have communicated to them the decision which you have adopted—but I have in every sense respected your secret accord- ing to the promise which I made you.” “ And Juliet will accept me?” said Lord Frede- rick, suddenly gazing up into my countenance: and ina moment I read what was passing in his mind :—as a last faint hope he was clinging to the idea that Juliet might after all refuse to accom- any him to the altar. **-Yes—she accepts you,” IT replied. ‘And now we must deliberate upon the final arrangements.” “Leave them all to me, Ellen,” said my father, “T have already informed Lord Frederick Ravens- cliffe that he will accompany me hence, and that he will pass the night at my lodgings. Be not afraid that he will endegvour to escape: he knows the penalty of making such an attempt, At the slightest evidence thereof would I pitilessly and remorselessly hand him over to the custody of the police! In short, he is well aware that this is a matter in which therggpust be neither trifling nor treachery.” “ Believe me,” said the young nobleman, ing low deep voice, “I am a man so completely broken down by all that has happened—so utterly degraded in my own estimation—that my energy is crushed—I am as a child in your hands—and [ accept the destiny of which ye have become the arbiters.” “Bid Mr. Norman have everything in readi- ness here to-morrow at eleven in the forenoon,” whispered my father to me. “Let the clergy- man be present. I will take care that Lord Frederick does not escape me: I will bring a special license; and the ceremony shall be accom- plished, ‘Your friend Juliet shall at least receive the honourable title of a wife: but what her hus- band’s subsequent conduct may be—what arrange- ments he may propose, or how he may deport himself towards her—it is impossible for us to conjecture !” ‘ “ True, dear father,” I replied: “those matters we must leave to chance. But there is one thing I have to communicate: it is that the Normans have most cordially forgiven you and this assurance they will breathe in your ear when you meet.” My father wrung my hand: he then beekoned Lord Frederick to precede him: the young noble- man bowed to me with mingled courtesy and dis- COMMIC DOO); (COU