Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 384: what you’re looking at

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

ee elt ET FLLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. S71 eel most elegant simplicity. I think Ihave seenhim “But suppose, my dear Miss Perey,” said Beda, a ‘in a box at the theatre—but I am not certain.” “ He showed the delicacy of his feelings,” I ob- served, “by leaving you the instant his presence was no longer required.” The incident which I have been relating, left a somewhat painful impression on my mind; for it afforded another proof of Mary Glentworth’s art- lessness and inexperience; and f thought to my- self, ““ She requires a mother’s care !” I however resolved to let her go about alone as little as possible; for though I knew her to be virtuous and well principled, yet her exceeding innocence was calculated to blind her eyes to the pitfalls which in the modern Babylon are spread by designing persons at the feet of the unsuspect- ing. It was not however so easy for me to ac- company her continuously whenever she went out; for at times when my presence was needed at re- hearsal, she would have some little shopping to do —and I could not possibly treat her so completely as a child as to request her to remain until I could go with her. Thus, at the expiration of a week, she again went alone to the Burlington Arcade, to fetch the books which were expected from Paris. Indeed, on several occasions within the next two or three weeks she was left to herself for an hour or two at a time; and all that I could do was to give her an occasional hint upon the necessity of being most cautious in her conduct towards strangers, and by all means to avoid suffering her- self to be drawn into conversation by persons whom she might accidentally meet. It now wanted a week to the termination of the third month since Mrs. Norman’s death; and the time was approaching when I was resolved to enter upon my project for the discovery of whether Mr. Parks had been an accomplice in his mother’s crime—at least if it were possible to make that discovery at all. I now consulted with Beda: I admitted the faithful girl into my confidence ; and I asked her advice how we could best ascertain whether Dame Betty was then at her cottage on the road between Birmingham and Embledon ?— for I did not wish to have the trouble of under- taking an expedition into Warwickshire for no- thing. *T can think of no other means,” replied Beda, “than that I myself should set off into Warwick- shire and ascertain the point. This I can do pri- vately, without suffering the old woman to have the slightest suspicion that I am even in the neighbourhood—much less that I am instituting inquiries concerning her.” “You are a good girl, Beda,’ I said: “but I do not like the idea of your travelling ‘alone, or of exposing yourself to the possible malignity of that old wretch.” “Oh, my dear Miss!” exclaimed Beda, “ you need not harbour the slightest apprehension on my account. As for travelling alone, no one would dare insult me; for I would very soon con- vince the most self-sufficient individual that he had better attend to his own business. And as for the old dame herself, I fear her not!” * Well then, Beda,” I said, “you shall po: and immediately on ascertaining that the dame is at the cottage, you can write to me, and I will join you. If it be otherwise, you will at once return to London.” ney. “that Dame Betty should not be at her cottnge in Warwickshire, and that I should obtain a clue to her whereabouts in any other district,—am I to follow up that clue ?” *Tleave the entire matter, Beda, to your own discretion,” I answered. “At all events you will write to me, 80 that I shall not experience any uneasiness on your account:—and with this un- derstanding you will act according to circum- stances.” Beda’s preparations for the journey were promptly made; and she set out upon her ex- pedition. I had already given Mary Glentworth an insight into tho matter which was thus inte- resting me; so that she was not surprised to find that I sent off my young attendant on this jour- I accompanied Beda to the railway-station, —Mary having remained at home in Great Ormond Street on account of a severe headach. When I had seen Beda depart, I repaired in my carriage to Portland Place, where I had some in- structions to give to my milliner, who resided there. Tyremembered to have read, in the news= paper of the preceding day, of some very curious scientific invention which was being exhibited at the Polytechnic Institution; and as [ found myself in that neighbourhood, with an hour’s leisure upon my hands, I resolved to visit the place. the afternoon; and there were many persons as- sembled at the Institution,—several of them being of consequence, as the carriages waiting at the door indicated, gallerics, stopping almost every minute to con- template some fresh object of interest, I suddenly heard my name mentioned ; ‘and I was imme- diately accosted by the Marquis of Dalrymple. IL treated the young nobleman with a friendly affa- bility : for be it recollected that the overtures he had some tithe past made to me were of the most honourable description—and he had rendered me a sional service by procuring for me an admission to his mother’s tasked ball on the occasion when It was in As I was walking through the I was so anxious to warn Lady Cecilia Urban ageaitist an alliance with Lord Frederick Ravens- clhiffe. A considerable period had elapsed since IL had last seen the young Marquis otherwise than at the theatre; and it now occurred to me that he was not looking quite so well as formerly. His countenance was pale; and though it was far from having a haggard look, it was what the French would term an expression of fatigue, as if through the lingering effect of recont illness or of dissipa~ tion: but I could not for a moment think that it was the latter. “J believe, my lord,” I said, after the exchange of & few observations; “that the Duke and Dachess have gone upon the Continent. I had the honour of seeing their Graces at Dover some few months back fg “Yes,” replied the Marquis; “ they are in Italy —but I did not choose to accompany them. To tell you the truth, my father is imtolerable, with his friend Peaseblossom and his cracked violins; and my mother gets more domineering every day. Yustead of allowing me greater license in propor- tion as I givew older, sho seems to think it all the more necessary to keep mo in leading-strings. So at tho last moment, just when she had settled everything for our departure to the Continent, f (COMMUC o)(OO)|;< (ECON