Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 322: what you’re looking at

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

——————L— <<< CO 2 —— ——— —— ELLEN PERCY ; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. 209 was it that Beda listened to my narrative of the recent proceedings at Kelvedon Hall! I bade her lose no time in seeking for Dame Betty, and making an appointment for the old woman to be at my house at some hour on the following day, so that Lady Kelvedon might meet her there. Beda promised to execute my mandates forthwith; and when I[ had read several letters which had arrived for me during my absence, I returned to Eaton Square. On the following day Beda came to Eaton Square with the information that she had seen Dame Betty, who would be at my house in the evening between eight and nine o'clock. This appointment Lady Kelvedon and I accordingly kept ; but her ladyship met the dame with very different feclings from those which she had formerly experienced towards her—for now she knew that this woman possessed the diabolic knowledge which had proved the source of her almost fatal illness, as well as she was endowed with that other species of knowledge which had furnished the antidote. But Lady Kelvedon threw a veil over her feelings as much as possible ; and Dame Betty had no reason to suspect that I had found it expedient to deal so candidly with her patient. She asked her ladyship a number of questions: she was completely satisfied with the responses ; and she ceclared that there was no doubt nor indeed any longer a difficulty in re- spect to Hermione’s cure. “‘ Foreseeing—or at least hoping that this would be the case,”’ said the hag, “I have brought with me an adequate supply of the medicaments, which your ladyship must continue to take. There need be no change ; and in six or seven weeks from the present time you will feel that you are alto- gether a different being.” Thus speaking, the old woman laid a packet upon the table in the room where the interview took place ; and I then conducted her out of Lady Kelvedon’s presence. I bade her follow me into another apartment ; and when we were there alone together, I said, “ Beda told you everything which has occurred at Kelvedon Hall ?” “ Yes — everything,” answered the dame,— “everything! I mean to leave London to-night, and England to-morrow. After all, Miss Percy, France is the safest country for me : for who can tell how that fellow Collingwood may have spoken to any one P—or how my name may be mentioned in any letter that might now possibly turn up ? In short **'Yes—you had better leave England,” I said, well pleased to hear that the hag had arrived at that very decision which I had made up my mind to suggest to her. ‘‘ You were promised five hundred guineas for effecting the cure of Lady Kelvedon. Here is half that sum; and the other half shall be paid in six weeks from the present time, provided that the result shall prove as favourable as you have led us to expect,” I counted down two hundred and fifty guineas in bank-notes and gold upon the table; and the harridan’s eyes glittered as she beheld that sum, while her fingers literally trembled with a kindred sensation of pleasure as she gathered up the notes and the coins. * You will let me know,” I said, “in the course of a few wecks, where you are to be found in France, so that I may make you tie promised remittance which shall. complete the pete sum.’ The dame expressed her gratitude : but indtead of taking her departure, she lingered—looked at me in a peculiar manner—and seemed as if she had something of high importance to say to me. “ Have you anything else to impart,’ I in- quired, ‘ relative to Lady Kelvedon ?—is every- thing being done that can be done ?” “ Yes, everything, my dear Miss!” answered the dame ; “and there is nothing else to be done. Lady Kelvedon will in six or seven weeks be as well and healthy as you are. But you see that I have something to say; and so I have. Yet I little thought that the time would ever come when I should be saying something to you that would tend to your advantage—or else to that of your family—as I believe it will % “ What can you mean?” I asked, much sur- prised at the turn which the conversation was thus taking. “ Answer me a question or two,” resumed the dame. “ Had you not some relations of the name of Wakefield who lived at Sheffield a few years ago P” “Yes—an aunt and a cousin,” I eiaculated. “The aunt is dead “And the cousin 2 inquired Dame Betty. “But are you really asking,” I said, “from a good motiveP’—and my heart was palpitating violently as I feared lest there should be something sinister beneath the hag’s present conduct towards me. “ What earthly motive can I have except a good one,” she ejaculated, with a slight show of petu- lance, “since I myself am so little acquainted with the matter that all I can do is to furnish a clue which it is for you to follow up.” “Indeed?” I exclaimed. ‘Then if by suspicion I have wronged you, I beseech forgiveness.” “You have forgiven me enough, Miss Perey,” said the dame emphatically, “ to induce me to for- give you. Besides, you were a friend of Zarah’s— and whenever I think of that, it makes me doubly regret that I should have ever dispiayed any hos- tility towards you. But your cousin a “He is absent from England,” I answered: “he is far away. Nevertheless, 1 can communi- cate with him if there be anything of import- ance ‘ “Ah, well! at all events he is alive,” inter- jected the dame. ‘“ Now, from a few words which I heard a while ago from the lips of a woman at Stafford, I think this cousin of your’s may possibly be entitled to something handsome if he knew how to look’ after it.” “This is very extraordinary!” I said; “and [ am almost inclined to think that you must be making a mistake. There is assuredly no fortune in the family which has hitherto escaped our knowledge; for my cousin’s father—my uncle Mr. Wakefield—died in a state of insolvency.” “Ab! but had he not a brother P” inquired Dame Betty, “or at all events some relation through whom there might have existed a claim ?” “Yes—I think that I have heard of another Mr. Wakefield,” I said, striving to gather my recollections; “ but I am not sure.” — ai | NniGooo (C(O SS