Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 264: what you’re looking at

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ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. —————__ ee 251 salve to my own conscience, which reproached me for having entertained unjustifiable misgivings and unwarrantable suspicions in reference to Agatha. Soon after three o’clock, Lord Kelvedun reap- peared ; and it was now that his wife began play- ing the part which I had suggested—namely, the expression of a desire to have several articles of dress which she knew very well could only be ob- tained in London. She spoke with that air of capriciousness and whimsical levity which are so often displayed by invalids; and then her counte- nance brightened up when I offered to procure everything she required. “But you would not have Miss Percy set out for London this evening ?” ejaculated the old nobleman, who naturally saw something out- rageous in such a proceeding according to the view which he took of it. “ Indeed, my lord,’ I hastened to say, “I have urgent business requiring my presence in the me- tropolis; and if I do not return to-night, I must set out to-morrow. It shall be made to depend upon her ladyship, and how she finds herself pre- sently.” Agatha now entered the boudoir to lay the table for dinner. A couple of the footmen brought up the dishes; but they did nof remain to wait at table—it was Agatha who performed this duty; for ever since the commencement of her illness Lady Kelvedon had chosen to be attended as much as possible by her own haadmaidens, for she com- plained that the footmen were too noisy. The dinner passed off without any incident worthy of mention—without the occurrence of the slightest reason to resuscitate against Agatha all those suspicions which had died away after hear- ing the character which her mistress had given of her. And now, when the table was cleared and Lord Kelvedon had partaken of two or three glasses of wine, it became necessary to think of getting rid of his lordship for the present, as the hour was approaching when Dame Betty would be waiting for me in the shrubbery. I made a sign to Lady Kelvedon: she acknowledged it by a look which showed me that she knew what was passing in my mind; and in a few minutes she began to suffer her head to fall back slowly over the cushion of the sofa, while her eyelids were seen gradually to droop. “Her ladyship feels sleepy,’ I whispered to Lord Kelvedon. _ He understood the hint: it was intended for him to retire; and he rose from his seat accord- ingly. “T will keep watch by her ladyship’s side,” I said; “and when she awakes I will send and let you know.” The nobleman withdrew from the boudoir; and as the door closed behind him, Hermione opened her beautiful eyes, smiling at the success of the stratagem which she had adopted. I then fastened the boudoir door; and consulting my watch, I found that it was a quarter to six o’clock—close therefore upon the hour when Dame Betty would be expecting me in the shrubbery. I put on my bonnet and shawl, which I had purposely left in her ladyship’s apartments since the preceding evening: I took the key of the pri- vate door—and I set out on my little expedition. The reader may be well assured that on this occa- sion I was specially careful to Jock as well as shut the door at the bottom of the staircase; and on emerging into the open air, I plunged my looks in every direction to assure myself that I was un- observed. The heayens were dark with black clouds that were floating high above; and I could not see to any very great distance around. But I listened—and all was still. I glided along the avenue in the garden: I was approaching the door in the boundary-wall, when I suddenly stopped short, for it struck me that I caught the sound of a footstep at a little distance. Yes— there was no doubt of it !—’twas the footstep of a man’s heavy boot upon the gravel walk rendered hard and crisp by the frost. Another moment, and I heard voices speaking in a low tone,—a man’s voice and a woman’s voice; and then my ear could follow the lighter steps of a female in conjunction with the heavier ones of a man. The sounds were approaching the spot where I stood: they were coming along a diverging walk. Some- thing must be done on the instant! Noiseless as a snake gliding in the grass, I slipped amongst the evergreens ; and crouching down, I listened with suspended breath. ‘Well, you know,” I heard the man now say, “he told us to beware of this Ellen Percy, for she got upon the scent of what he meant to do some months ago—and that’s the reason that made him hold off so long. He would have held off longer too, only his circumstances were growing so despe- rate 11 The female voice then said something; but I could not catch what it was. Indeed the voice itself was so indistinct that I was not even able to judge by its tone whether 1t were one that was known to me. “ Of course she must suspect!” rejoined the man: “or else what the deuce has she come again to the house for, after having been two or three days ago?” The female voice again said something, but as indistinctly as heretofore. “TI couldn’t come last night, my dear girl,” said the man: “or eise of course I should have done so. You know that I love you—don’t you 2” There was ® murmuring sound of a female voice, and this was followed by the noise of several hearty kisses which reached my ears.’ The loving couple—for such they evidently were — retraced their way along the walk; and some minutes elapsed before they returned near enough for me to catch another syllable of what was passing bee » tween them. “T wonder whether it was only an excuse‘on Miss Percy’s part?” said the man, when his voice once more came within the range of my hearing ; “or whether she really had a headache and went out for the fresh air?” The female voice said something, this time in a somewhat louder tone, though I was still un- able to catch the sense of what she did say: but it struck me that if was the tone of Agatha’s voice. The man again spoke—but I only caught the words “ private door” — “ unlocked’’— and “bath-room :” and. then there was a low but merry laugh on the part of the female. For an instant I was struck by bewilderment, for the laugh sounded as if it were Matilda’s yvoice— whereas all other citcumstances had been com icomicbook (F©)