Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 111: what you’re looking at

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

- myself to believe that it was otherwise: for would J myself, > he exclaimed, “for a long period 98 ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS, On the contrary, I fancied that ye two must have | cease. You | Perceive how cruelly poor Juliet is come to seek me ¥ ; afflicted “What do you mean?” I asked. “Is it pos- “Tt shall cease!” he ejaculated, with a strange sible that you are living in this neighbour- | suddenness. “ When do you propose to return hood !” to London, or to whichsoever place whence you “ Yes—lI am living here,” he replied, his voice | came ?” continuing to be profoundly mournful. “I saw “We purpose to set off in less than an hour,” I you just now—but only at the moment when you | responded,—*“ indeed as soon as we have partaken were leaving “ of some little refreshment.” * Are you living at the Manor?” I inquired, as “It is now two o’clock,” said the young noble- the thought of the shut-up apartment flashed to | man, looking at his watch: “ you must delay your my mind. departure somewhat! Yes—it is important—be- He seemed to hesitate how he should reply to | lieve me that it is important! At four o’clock the question; and then he somewhat abruptly said, | precisely must you return to yonder Manor ~ ** Yes—I am living there !” Return thither ?’ I asked in astonishment, “And you thought,” I continued, “ that we | whileI felt that poor Juliet was trembling more and more violently as she clung to my arm. “"Yes—at four o’clock,”’ repeated Ravenscliffe yehemently: “at that hour must you both be punctual! The old couple will have a message for you! Be assured that this message will prove of the first importance! I conjure you therefore —I entreat—command—implore—whatsoever you will—that this appointment be kept!” Haying thus spoken, Lord Frederick Ravens- cliffe dashed abruptly away from the spot, leaving myself and Juliet under the influence of feelings which it may perhaps be more easy for my reader to imagine than for me to describe. It must how- ever of course be understood that Juliet was more likely to experience a greater impression than I myself was; for it was her own husband whom she had thus met—wheréas to me the meeting- was one of comparative indifference, beyond the sympathy which I felt for my afflicted friend. I had there- fore maintained a greater degree of self-possession than she cou!d possibly command; and [ recovered a complete fortitude before she was even enabled to shake off the first effects of the encounter. Her had come “What other idea could I form ?” he inter- rupted me. “And eyen now I ean scarcely bring not the coincidence be most marvellous—most ex- 2? traordinary * You mean the coincidence of our coming into the same neighbourhood where you are? Yes—it is extraordinary !” | “Extraordinary !”’ repeated Rayenseliffe, in a moody, thoughtful manner. ‘Ah! and the inci- dent has its fearful significancy likewise ——” “What, what,” gasped Juliet, “ does he mean P” “Ab, poor tortured girl!” said Ravenseliffe, with mournful bitterness; “do & hear your voice again? But no matter what I meant by those words which fell from my lips! Do you too, J uliet, tell me that i¢ was accident “Took at this card,” I said: “ it contains the address of the house-agent who is entrusted with the sale of Willowbridge Manor. I thought of buying Willowbridge—hence our yisit. But do not for a single moment imagine, unhappy being handsome face was yery pale—her entire form was that you are _ quivering nervously—and she still clang to me for “No, no!” exclaimed Rayenscliffe bitterly : | support for some moments after he had disappeared “there is no hope with which I ought fo buoy | from our view. myself up! ‘Yet for an instant I thought it pos- ** Good heavens, Ellen !” she murmured, ‘‘ what sible that by some means or another you had be- | can all this mean ?—and does it not appear to you come acquainted with the place of my seclusion,— | to be something as wild in its reality as if it were and that you had therefore come hither to seek an episodewhich we were reading in the page of me. But yet, the instant I emerged from beneath | a romance ?” the trees, I saw by the looks of both that I | “Come, Juliet,” I said, “let us hasten away was mistaken ; for my appearance-filled you with from the spot 1—let us return to the village! amazement and affright! Well then, itis destiny Surely it was some strange fatality which brought —it is heaven itself, which has thrown us thus. us hither!” again together! Juliet,,does it not seem so to| We walked on in silence, respectively absorbed you P” | in our reflections,—Juliet leaning on my arm, and “ My brain is in confusion—my thoughts are | seeming as if she had sustained some shock from all in a whirl,” said poor Juliet, who still leaning | which she could not very readily recover. I was upon my arm, was trembling violently: “Ob, meditating the while whether I should presently what would you say to me, Frederick? Isit pos- | advise her to keep the appointment which her hus- sible that you could have desired this meeting? | band had given, or whether I should counsel her to did you have a presentiment of it ?” /quit the neighbourhood with the least possible “No, no! I thought that here I would bury delay, and return to London, where I might con- at | sult with my father and get him to come down to least until But ah! no matter, what I thought ! | Willowbridge and ascertain what communication Of what avail is it thus to explain our thoughts— the wretched young nobleman might be desirous to our feelings? You ere now saw enough, Juliet, | make to his wife. For a moment I thought of to convince you that even when I fancied you had | offering to keep the appointment alone on Juliet’s come to seek me, I nevertheless approached with | behalf: but this idea I almost immediately rejected, fear and trembling—I crept like a guilty thing | as the execution of it might prove perilous to my towards you r ‘reputation—for it might. be supposed that I had ‘Lord Frederick,” I said, “pray let this scene purposely come into those parts to seek an inter- ee | i GOMmMIIGDooks (E@)