Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 258: what you’re looking at

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

| ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. re toress, | must have my own way. But, joking apart, I have a great deal of little chit-chat for her ladyship : and then, amongst other things, we must discuss how these dresses are to be made up—for I have brought all the newest fashions with me. Ah, here they are!” I added, taking a French Fashion-book out of one of the parcels. “Well then, I will leave you together,” said the old nobleman, who would have leapt over the moon if he were able and if he had been told to do so—or he would have stood on his head, or performed any feat, no matter how hazardous or ridiculous, to testify his joy at the prospect of his darling’s recovery. “ And pray do not think of coming back to us,” said Hermione, “until I send Maltilda to fetch you: for I mean to have a very long, long confi- dential chat with my dear friend Ellen.” “ Anything you like, young ladies,” rejoined the old nobleman: and he hastened from the bou- doir. The moment the door closed behind him, Lady Kelvedon threw her arms about my neck ; and in a paroxysm of ineffable emotions hitherto pent up, but now finding vent, she exclaimed, “ Ob, dearest Ellen? I know you have brought me the tidings of recovery, life, and health! I understood your meaning just now!” “Yes,” I said, “my dear lady, the gipsy wo- man is here—and she promises everything. Ina word, I have every hope that she will be enabled to cure you!” Lady Kelvedon was now weeping softly, as her head was pillowed upon my bosom ; and my own tears mingled with hers—for there was an inef- fable joy in my heart to think that a creature so young in years, so amiable in disposition, and so exquisite in beauty, had every chance of being again restored to health and happiness. “And now let us delay not,’ I said: “the gipsy woman is close at hand! You are to manage her introduction to this room P” “I promised you that this should be easy,” rejoined Hermione : and then she gave me certain instructions which the reader will immediately comprehend by following me in the course which I at once proceeded to adopt. I took a key from the mantel-piece; and I passed into an inner room, which was her lady- ship’s bedchamber. Beyond it there was a dress- ing-room, and this communicated with a bath- room. Outside the bath-room there was a little landing, with a private staircase. There was no other means of communication with this landing except by the way which I was now pursuing. At the bottom of the staircase there was a door, which I opened with the key; and I took good care to lock it behind me. I was now in the open air—in a garden at the back of the house. The evening was getting somewhat lighter; for the stars were coming out, and the moon, which was close upon its full, was rising. I turned along a gravel walk to the left—passed through a gate in the boundary-wall—and entered upon the grass- plat to which I had alluded in my instructions to Dame Betty. A glance quickly flung around, con- vinced me that the coast was clear; and I sped in the direction of the large vase at the south-western corner of that grass-plat. There was immediately | 245 ~~ I said in a low voice, “It is all right!”—and the gipsy woman came forth from her hiding-place. “ How go matters indoors?” she quickly asked me. “Her ladyship is worse,” I responded—“ an in- crease of languor—a total failure of the appe- tite 4 “Tt is serious!” said the dame: “but still ag long as she has been able to keep up and not take to her bed ¢: . “ No, no, she is up and dressed !” I interjected. “So much the better!” rejoined the woman, with the emphasis of confidence. ‘“ And now lead the way.” It is needless to recapitulate the avenues by which we passed to gain the boudoir; suffice it to say that while retracing the way I had previously taken, I conducted the dame, and unobserved we reached the apartment where I had left Hermione. She flung a quick glance upon the crone, who threw back the hood of the cloak; and Lady Kel. vedon was now seized with a sudden faintness—she was well-nigh overpowered by her feelings, as she doubtless looked upon that woman as the arbitress, so to speak, of her life or death. I hastened to support Hermione in my arms; and the dame, seating herself in a chair opposite, began contem- plating her ladyship with the most earnest atten- tion. There was a bottle of salts upon the table; and by the aid of these Hermione was soon reco- vered—for she had not fainted outright. “Compose yourself, my dear friend,’ I whis- pered; “for this woman may possibly require to ask you some questions.” Dame Betty continued to gaze upon Lady Kel- vedon for two or three minutes,—a short space when the words themselves which denote it are idly and flippantly thrown off from the tongue or the pen, but a perfect century for those who are suffering anxiety and suspense! Never did Dame Betty’s countenance seem to be so thoroughly in- scrutable as during these two or three minutes: I could deduce naught from it—neither hope nor fear; but a cold terror was growing upon me. At length the dame spoke; and she began asking Hermione a multitude of questions, relative to symptoms, sensations, and feelings—but so care- fully wording her queries as to leave her ladyskip totally unsuspicious of the fact that she was labouring under the influence of poison. Indeed, I could not help giving Dame Betty credit for the tact, the delicacy, and the ingenuity with which she shaped her interrogatory. Then, as I con: tinued to watch her countenance I saw that it grew a trifle brighter—and hope once more ex- panded in my soul. “ Well, my lady,” said the dame at length, “I think I can promise yes, L will venture to declare that you sball be cured!” A ery of joy burst from Hermione’s lips; and she exclaimed, “Fulfil your promise, my good woman, and your reward ; “That point,” I interjected, placing my fingers upon Lady Kelvedon’s lips, “is already settled. I¢ is not for you to trouble yourself on the subject —at least not for the present.” “T leave myself, Bilen, entirely in your hands,” said Hermione. Dame Betty had in the meanwhile risen from & rustling amongst the neighbouring evergreens: ! her seat; and she drew forth from her pocket a -——-_—- —-—- COLA JOO SS (EO)