Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 323: what you’re looking at

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

% 810 ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. __ “T myself know very little about it,” said Dame “ Because poverty is for the most part station- Betty: “for I had no particular curiosity at the ary,” responded the dame; “and because likewise time—and even if & had, the woman did not seem inclined to gratify it. She only spoke vazuely— because she was asking me some questions about a gipsy family named Robinson Why, that very family, to be sure! to which your Beda belongs!” “Indeed ?” I exclaimed, imagining that from the very fact of this dovetailing together of inci- dents there must be something real and tangible at the bottom of Dame Betty’s present discourse. * But you know Beda’s father and mother are dead.” * Don’t I know all about Beda,” demanded the dame, “since she lived with me at one time? Ah, that was just before she went to you. And didn’t Beda’s parents receive an annuity for having re- stored a child to its home from which it had been stolen P”’ “Yes!” I ejaculated. “ But what has this to do with the circumstances to which you are alluding P” * Oh, simply because the woman Sturton—the woman of Stafford, I mean—was asking me about that Robinson family ; for she knew them well— anc she had no liking to them, either—for if I mistake not, she had something to do in the steal- ing of the child———or at least her parents had—— but I really forget the particulars now.” “Well,” I said, “ but the inquiries which this woman Sturton instituted relative to the Robin- sons, had nothing to do with the Wakefield family ?” “TI don’t know,” responded Dame Betty : “ all I can tell you, is that she spoke of the two things in the same breath ; and she said that if she only knew where to find out any of the Wakefields of Sheffield, she should not perhaps be in such poverty as she was at the time when I saw her.” “This is most extraordinary !” I eried: “ and I cannot possibly understand it! Is she a gipsy- woman ?” “ Yes, by birth,” replied Dame Betty: “ but she married out of her tribe—just as my poor dear Zarah did.” “ And how came you to know,” I asked, * that I was related to the Wakefields of Sheffield P” “Have I not known something about you for several years past ?” inquired the dame: “‘ have I not known that you lived with your grandfather Forsyth at Leeds P—did I not know Parks ?”— and here she smiled with a grim significancy. “Ah, true!” I said. “ And therefore when the woman Sturton spoke to you of the Wakefield family———” “TI did noé tell her,” rejoined the dame, “ that if she applied to you she might possibly procure some information concerning those Wakefields. Because I had no love for you at the time when I saw the woman Sturton; and I thought that if if was to put anything in the way of your relations it would be benefiting you likewise; and so as I did ot want to benefit you, I held my peace. But now that I entertain different feelings towards you—-and that you have not betrayed me in this Collingwood affair—and you are behaving so honourably towards me with segard to the money for her ladyship’s cure 4 * But how do you know that the woman Stur- ton is still at Stafford?” I inquired. her husband was a native of that town, so that she may have a few friends there.” “Then she is a widow ?” I asked. “She was a widow when I saw her 4 year or two ago,” rejoined the dame; “and unless she has married again - “But where could I find her in Sheffield ?” I demanded. Dame Betty mentioned a particular address, which I at once committed to paper. I then asked . her if she had any more information to give me on the point? I begged her to tax her memory, in case she should have omitted to mention any par- ticular that might be of importance: but she assured me that there was nothing to add, for that it was more by the woman Sturton’s myste- rious manner and significant looks than by actual words that she (Dame Betty) had been impressed with the idea that there was something of a real importance at the bottom. The old woman now took her departure; and I returned to the room where I had left Lady Kelve- don. I accompanied her home to Eaton Square ; and I remained with her until the next day. Lord Kelvedon then arrived from Hampshire. The Coroner’s inquest had taken place: verdicts of “ Accidental Death” had been returned in the case of Collingwood and Burton, and “Temporary In- sanity” in that of Matilda. The impression made by the evidence on the Coroner’s jury was that the crime of murder had been contemplated by Col- lingwood and his valet, and that Matilda was their accomplice: but nothing was said in reference to the poisoning. Indeed, his lordship had induced the Coroner to cut short the proceedings as much . as possible, — which that functionary effected by telling the jury that when once they were satisfied as to the cause of the deaths of the three persons, there was no necessity for them to descend more deeply into particulars. I now prepared to leave Eaton Square, for I was all impatience to journey into Staffordshire. Lord Kelvedon endeavoured, through the medium of his wife, to make me accept of a cheque upon his banker for two thousand guineas: but I would not listen to the proposal :—all that I would suffer in a pecuniary sense was that his lordship’s purse should be the source of Dame Betty’s reward. I made Agatha a present of a hundred guineas; and the young woman overwhelmed me with assur- ances of gratitude. As for Lord and Lady Kelve- don they seemed to think they could not say enough to express their own kind feelings towards me; and Hermione in particular wept bitterly when I took my leave—for as she knew I was going to stay with the Tremaines in Staffordshire, she feared lest two or three weeks might elapse ere we should meet again. It was exactly a fortnight since I had left River House near Dover; and though throughout several recent chapters I have not once alluded to the inmates of that dwelling, it must not be sup- posed that I myself had been unmindful of them —but I have thought it better not to interrupt the thread of my narrative for the purpose of re« ferring to any incidents that were passing else« where. Besides, have really very little to men- tion on this particular topic. The Duchess of ECORNIECLOOOKS (eve)