Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 148: what you’re looking at

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' ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. 135 “It has a sequel—and a singular one,’ con: tinued Mr. Richards. “The very next day, when I was here at the theatre, at about one o’clock, to attend the rehearsal of a new piece, I was in- formed that a young female requested to speak to me on some professional business: I desired that she might be shown to my room; and there I pre- sently joined her—for I was on the stage at the time.” * Ah, I see!” I exclaimed: “a little event suit- able for the pages of a romance P” “Exactly so, Miss Trafford,” rejoined the lessee. “You may conceive my amazement, blended like- wise with joy, when I at once recognised my Jane Smith of the preceding evening. I say joy, be- cause I now felt that I had an opportunity of relieving her wants if need should be. Her amazement was as great as mine—but it was blended with the utmost confusion. I desired her to sit down and compose herself; I saw that for some little while she struggled hard against the emotions that were convulsing her; and I affected to be busy with the arrangement of some papers on my desk, in order to afford her leisure to regain her self-possession. Then, when I thought she was sufficiently composed for discourse, I gently spoke a few encouraging words. She said that as we had met before, and under peculiar circum- tude in a few words, but those most sincerely spoken, she took her departure. She studied for seven weeks; she was unremitting in her labours, and Duprez declared that he never felt so much | pleasure in teaching any one as he did Miss Churchill. A week ago she made her public appearance, under the name of Mademoiselle An- geline ;—and you know with what effect.” “And beyond the details you have given,” I said, much interested in the new danseuse, “ you =i ignorant of all circumstances connected with er P” “Entirely so,” replied Mr. Richards. ‘ She has volunteered no explanations~and I have asked for none. Ah, by the bye! I should observe that within the last three or four weeks she hag moved to a humble but respectable lodging in Long-acre ; for of her own accord she gave me her address, in case there might be any sudden neces- sity for communicating with her. Where her former abode was I know not.” “And have you not told her of the inquiries you made of the pawnbroker?” I asked. “ But no !—of course you have not! It would have been useless, and might have humiliated her.” “For that very reason I have kept silent upon the subject,” rejoined Mr. Richards. There was a pause, during which I reflected stances, it would spare her the pain of a preface | upon all that I had heard; for I felt interested in to describe how her necessities were such as to | Jane Churchill, alias Mademoiselle Angeline. At compel her to seek an engagement upon the stage. | length I said, as if in a careless conversational I assured her of my readiness to forward her | manner, “I see that you again include Miss Har- views to the utmost of my power, and inquired in | rison in the ballet.” what capacity she thought of going upon the | stage? She replied, with some degree of hesita- tion, that she entertained the hope she was not without qualifications for the ballet. I said that of course I was to suppose she had never been upon the stage before? She answered in the negative—but added that she had always been passionately fond of dancing; and so far as the boarding-school accomplishment went, had been considered proficient. I intimated the necessity of her giving me, in the presence of the ballet- master, a proof of her abilities; and I presently arranged that this should take place after the re- hearsal.and when the company had dispersed. She was at first very difident: but M. Duprez”— here Mr. Richards alluded to the ballet-master— “and myself encouraged her, so that she acquired confidence. We then perceived she did indeed possess a marvellous talent; and M. Duprez whispered to me aside that the training of a fow weeks would enable her to become an accomplished danseuse. I had therefore no hesitation in pro- mising her an engagement. But how to assist her in the meanwhile? I endeavoured to elicit something of her circumstances: I could obtain nothing beyond the announcement, made with an outburst of weeping, that she was in the deepest distress. In as delicate a manner as possible, I placed money in her hand, and inquired her name, She hesitated for a moment—blushed—and faltered forth ‘Jane Churchill” I thereby knew that either she was now using, or on the previous night had used, a fictitious surname; indeed methought that both might be fictitious, and that her real one was still unknown to me. I was about to ask her place of residence: but I did not like to put the question; and having expressed her grati- “Yes,—she came back to me the other day,” responded Mr. Richards, not knowing that I had any particular reason for thinking evil of her, beyond the fact that was generally known, that sho had been the mistress of the Marquis of Tynedale. “T suppose that she quarrelled with a certain - noblemaz—or else he became wearied of her. At all events it answers my purpose sufficiently well that circumstances should have placed her in need of an engagement.” A little more conversation ensued between Mr. Richards and myself, chiefly in reference to my reappearance on the stage, the date for which hoe might advertise me, and the piece that should be presented for the occasion. Mary Glentworth and I departed some few minutes before the conclusion of the ballet—-the carriage was in waiting—and wo returned to Great Ormond Street. ‘ie CHAPTER LUXXXIX. REAPPEARANCE ON THE STAGE. GREAT was the excitement not merely in the theatrical world, but also with the public gene. rally, when it became known that I was about to return to the stage. The newspapers teemed with the most flattering paragraphs; and there was every indication that my reappearance would be attended with an immense success. I selected the character of Lady Macbeth ; and on the night of the representation the theatre was crowded to excess. As on many former occasions, hundreds and hundreds were utterly unable to obtain ad- mittance; and nothing could exceed the enthu- 0)(0)0) SS (EC)