Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

* SS re et Qe ee - —_—— — ee eee ——e SSS ee es —_ i - el ee es 89 yn the point, And you now find me here; and that is the church where my duties are performed ; and that little cottage of which you catch a glimpse amongst yonder trees, is my humble habi- tation. If I have not asked you to enter it, it was through no want of courtesy, but simply from a feeling of delicacy inasmuch as there is no lady within those walls to receive you.” All this was said in a tone which conveyed a sense of so much propriety as well as truthfulness, that Mr. Croft rose higher than before in my esti- mation, and I felt that I had outraged him by a suspicious identification with the individual whom Mrs. Parks had represented at the time as an evil- intentioned man. “Your own good sense,” continued Mr. Croft, “will tell you that the mistrust you have enter- tained with regard to myself, might act materially to my prejudice if you have elsewhere mentioned the suspicions that have so evidently brought you to Embledon. Observe! I am not blaming you— I can understand full well that a feeling of friend- ship on behalf of the Normans-has induced you to take this step » “Oh! believe me, sir,” I exclaimed, “‘ I have been guarded on the point! I am incapable of wilfully inflicting an injury; and though I have acted upon a suspicion, yet I have not imparted it.” “TY thank you for this assurance, Miss Percy,” replied Mr. Croft: “it is only what I should have expected from one of your evidently generous dis- position.— Ah! and now I recollect, [ left you ina swoon at Lord Frederick’s cottage. I was com- pelled to depart hurriedly—immediately after the ceremony; and on the present occasion my jirst question, instead of the last, ought to have been in reference to the state into which your over- wrought feelings had plunged you the other evyen- Ing P” I did not choose to inform Mr. Croft that the very suspicion which now brought me to Emble- don, was the one that had deprived me of con- sciousness on the occasion of the bridal; and I therefore briefly assured him that the indisposition to which he had alluded was only transient. * And now, Miss Percy,’ he said, “I will con- duct you to the place where the post-chaise has put up. But it is only a poor public-house, af- fording no accommodation for a young lady, and therefore my regret is all the greater that I cannot invite you to partake of such hospitality as my own humble habitation might afford.” I thanked Mr. Croft for his kindness—but as- sured him that I neither needed rest nor refresh- ment, and that I should at once set off on my re- turn to Birmingham. He accompanied me to the public-house, which was indeed as miserable a place as he had described it, and which was situated at the very entrance of the village, about a quarter of a mile from the bridge. The only persons I saw were a couple of dirty children at the door of a cottage opposite—an old blear-eyed woman throwing sand upon the floor of the diminutive parlour in the public-house itself—and a still older man (her husband) talking to the postilion, who was partaking of some refreshment on a bench in front of the miserable place. The old woman however curtsied respectfully to Mr. Croft—the old man rose and touched his hat; and then the ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. ancient couple indulged in a good long stare at me. Mr. Croft took it upon himself to order the postilion to Larness the horses with the least pos- sible delay; and he then conducted me into the little parlour which the crone of a landlady had been sweeping out. He conversed on general topics; and all the while his voice flowed with such softness that I never once caught a single in- tonation to remind me of that rougher and harsher voice which had belonged to the stranger for whom I had taken this reverend gentleman. In ten minutes the post-chaise was in readi- ness: Mr. Croft handed me into it, and made a courteous bow as it drove away. Perfectly satis- fied with the result of my visit to Embledon, and glad that I had paid it, I returned to Birmingham. Thence I proceeded to London; and on arriving in Hunter Street, was most kindly welcomed by Mr. and Mrs. Norman. I had written to them from Paisley to inform them of my auut’s death: they were not therefore surprised to behold me return in mourning ; and they proffered their con- dolences for the loss which I had sustained. I did not acquaint them with my deviation from the direct route in order to visit Embledon: there was no need to mention the suspicions which had taken me thither. I found them in better spirits rela- tive to Juliet than when I had left London; for they had received letters from her, and these an- nounced that her happiness was complete. It had been given out at the theatre, in the first instance, that my sudden absence was caused by the serious illness of a relation; and subsequently it was stated that the death of this relative would prevent my immediate return to the boards. I learnt from the Normans that Lady Lilla Essen- dine had called twice to ascertain if intelligence had been received concerning me; and two or three days after my return, her ladyship’s carriage drove up to the door. Lilla, on being shown to the drawing-room where I received her, embraced me with every testimony of affection, and condoled with me on my loss. She then proposed that as I could not immediately return to the stage, I should go and pass a few days with her. The invitation was not altogether unacceptable: the Normans, as I have already said, received a great deal of com- pany and had many visitors; I was as yet in no frame of mind to mingle with society; and at the same time I did not wish to be a check upon the usual pursuits of my friends. I therefore agreed to Lady Lilla’s proposal; but I would not accom- pany her in her carriage on that occasion: I pro- mised to be with her on the following day or at latest the day after. My only reason for this delay was the necessity of paying a visit to my milliner, and likewise of making other purchases which the fact of my being in mourning necessitated. These little mat- ters were however settled more speedily than I had expected; and immediately after breakfast on the following day I set out in the Normans’ car- riage for Claremont Villa. It was about eleven o’clock when I reached my destination; and I learnt that her ladyship, not expecting me thus early, had gone out for aramble. I was shown to the chamber which I had occupied on the occasion of my previous visit; and having put off my bonnet and shawl, I descended to the parlour. Her lady- ship had not as yet returned from her walk; and —ae ee | | | ; i t ) | 4 f | | CONMNIEIOOKS com