Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 316: what you’re looking at

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ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. ture in my bosom @ “Matilda, compose yourself,” I said; for she had started up in a wild paroxysm of despair, and I dreaded lest she should suddenly lay violent hands upon herself. *‘T will be as calm as I can, Miss Percy,” she * Bat, Oh! what a wicked wretch have I been! and in what horror must you hold me! Yes—it was I who administered the slow poison to that good kind mistress who ever had a friendly word for me!—it was I who continued day by day to administer the fatal iozenges,;—ruthlessly be- holding her pining, fading, and perishing before Yet not altogether ruthlessly; for, Ob! there have been bitter, bitter moments when re- morse has seized upon me as if it were a vulture replied. my eyes! fastening its claws upon my heart!” “ And you tell mo,” I said, “that it was day by day you administered the slow poisonP But tell me how you did this.” “Oh! when it was my turn to attend upon her ladyship,” rejoined Matilda, “it was so easy for me to slip a lozenge into the coffee or the choco. Jate at breakfast-time—I mean into her own cup—_ or else into the basin of soup or beef-tea which she took for her luncheon.” “And upon those days,” I said, “when it was Agatha’s turn to wait upon her Jadyship ?” “Oh! when once a person has entered upon the ways of crime,” exclaimed Matilda bitterly, “the imagination becomes horribly ingenious for the carrying out of its nefarious aims! On those days, for instance, when Agatha waited upon her lady- ship, I used to be upon the watch for her when she came into the kitchen to order whatsoever her ladyship preferred for luncheon ; and then I would either officiously assist to prepare it—or I would take upon myself the entire task, bidding Agatha go and do something else; so that this readiness on my part was set down to that character for good-nature which I have always borne. Ah, Miss Percy! rest assured that when people make up their mind to commit crimes, the ways are only too easy and the opportunities are only too great ! My God! would that it had been otherwise! I might then have hesitated—I might not be the wretch that Ihave become! But, Oh! believe me, it was not without a severe struggle in the first instance that I yielded to the representations—the mingled threats and entreaties—of Robert Burton! He had seduced me; I dreaded the consequences —he promised grand things—we were to be mar. ried—we were to be enriched whenever his master should be enabled to reward us——~” * Enough, Matilda!” I said; for the narrative was a very shocking and painful one for me to listen to. “I can understand all the motives which triumphed over the weakness of your own dispo- sition and nature. But tell me—there is one point which I can scarcely understand. How was it that Mr. Collingwood sought to bring about the death of Lady Kelvedon, when it was by the death of his lordship that he might have chiefly hoped to -profit ?” “Oh! his calculation, Miss Percy, is easily ex- plained,” answered Matilda. “It is true that if he had consigned his uncle to the grave, he would have inherited the title of Kelvedon: but of what use would the mere name have been without the and, Oh! my God! the babe that I bear 303 family estates? Those estates are not entailed ; and therefore Lord Kelvedon could bequeath them unto whomsoever he thought fit. Now, Mr. Col- lingwood, knowing how dotingly attached the old nobleman is to his young wife, thought it most probable that he had made a will bequeathing the great bulk of his property—perhaps indeed the whole of it—to her ladyship. Then of what use to put Lord Kelvedon out of the way under such circumstatices P” “Ah! nowI begin to comprehend the deep and cunning calculations cf the villain Collingwood!” I exclaimed. “He thought that he would send her ladyship as speedily as possible to the gravé, and then his uncle would once more look upon him as his sole heir, and he might in due course make certain of succeeding not only to the peerage of Kelvedon, but likewise to the estates !” “Yes, Miss Percy—those were the calcula- tions of Mr. Collingwood,” answered Matilda. “You perhaps little suspect,” I said, “ that one evening I was a listener to some conversation which passed between yourself and a man in the garden. It was just about a week agzo—indeed, the same evening on which I left the Hall. But straige to say I could not once catch a glimpse of either of you—nor did I hear your voice suffi- ciently clear to recognise it. I thought that you were Agatha, and I subsequently thought that the man who was with you, must be the bearer of the Christian name of Richard—Agatha’s lover, in- deed.” | “Ab, Miss,” said Matilde, “now I begin to comprehend how it was that you possessed your- self of the letter which I wrote on Robert Bur- ton’s behalf, and which I put into the vase——” *'Yes—I took it from the vase,’ I said. “I then penned another letter - “Oh! now I understand it all, Miss,” rejoined Matilda; “and it was that letter which brought Mr. Collingwood secretly from France, to inquire into the position of affairs. He could not com- prehend it. The letter was of a nature sufli- cient to fill him with consternation, and yet to be more or less ambiguous—because he thought to himself that if it were so urgent for Robert and me to get out of the neighbourhood, we surely had enough money for such a purpose without waiting for a remittance from him. To be brief, he came to England: he found to his astonish- ment that Burton had never caused such a letter to be written; and then, Miss Percy, suspicion fell upon you. Though how the letter which F had deposited in the vase could have been changed for another, utterly defied all our conjectures.” “And you held a consultation, doubtless?” I said inquiringly. “ Yes—last evening,” responded Matilda. * But tell me,” I said, “was it suspected that Lady Kelvedon was getting better through my agency P” ~© Yes—oh, yes!” answered Matilda. “ Mr Collingwood said it was plein enough that you suspected what was going on, and that you were administering an antidote. Well then, all his dreams and visions, so grand though so iniquitous, became suddenly threatened with annihilation ; and he was reduced to despair: he knew not how to act. He resolved to take some little time to cousider ; and it was agreed that I should meet ee et < GomiGcdoo SS (E)