Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 365: what you’re looking at

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

re ee eee 362 —_ SC “Open the door !” I exclaimed to the postition, | and break the news to my lord and her ladyship! who had dismounted from bis saddle. RLLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS, “For heaven’s sake, ma’am, go up first of all T alighted, followed by Beda; and one of the | Her ladyship is a great invalid-———” hunting party immediately exclaimed, “ Good heavens, Miss Percy ! is it you P” This was the young Baronet whom I had met at Tremaine Hall, and to whom I have before alluded. It happened, moreover, that there were two or three other gentlemen amongst the hunting party who knew me by sight ; and they saluted me with the utmost courtesy. ‘Ig his lordship much injured?” I asked, ad- vancing towards a group in the midst of whom the sufferer now was. ‘He is unconscious—but life is not extinct,” was the reply. ‘ We must remove him home at once.” “ This postchaise is at your service,” I exclaimed. ‘Ts Carshalton far from hence.” “Only about a couple of miles,” replied the Baronet. ‘Ah, Miss Percy! if we might ask such afavour of yourself, and your young attendant here ‘sg “Speak! what can I do?” Texclaimed. “ But suffer me to see the unfortunate Viscount! Ah! you have done well! you have loosened his neck- kerchief—you have bathed his countenance with water! Have you any vinegar P” I inquired, thus addressing myself to the keeper of the turnpike. Vinegar was almost immediately forthcoming: I moistened my kerchief with it, and placed it upon the Viscount’s forehead. “No limbs seem to be broken,” said the Baronet. “ T think the injury is done to the head.” “The sooner he is now got home the better,” I observed. “Tell me candidly, what were you just now about to ask of myself and my com- panion P” “That you would have the kindness, Miss Percy,” responded the Baronet, “to accompany the Viscount to Carshalton. Ladies can minister more effectually to the wounded and the sick than we uncouth beings of the ruder sex. Besides, the postchaise is roomy enough 4 ‘Tf it is desired that we should accompany the Viscount,” I answered, “ most assuredly we will do S0.”” The inanimate form of the nobleman was con- veyed into the postchaise: Beda and I entered also, and bestowed such ministrations as we were enabled to afford during the’short journey. We bathed his temples and chafed his palms—but-all in vain; we could not restore him to life—and yet the vital spark was not extinct. At length we drew near to a spacious mansion—the gates of a park were thrown open by the porter at the-lodge —and the man was sadly afflicted upon hearing what had happened to the Viscount. As far as this point the chaise had been accompanied by the hunting party, whose sport was turned into mourn- ing by the occurrence: but now the young Baronet requested that the postchaise should proceed in advance, so that the anxiety of the inmates of the mansion need not be prematurely excited by be- holding a large cavalcade advancing through the spacious park. In about ten minutes the vehicle stopped in front of the Harl of Carshalton’s country seat: the hall-porter came forth—and I communicated to him in a few hurried words what had occurred. she might think that I had been an accomplice in sn ne ea aeE dE a EIEIESdES a “JT know it,” I interrupted him: for it was | not the first time that I had performed the painful task of communicating evil intelligence to the Countess of Carshalton. I was shown upstairs to the drawing-rgom, where I found her ladyship alone. The reader will recollect that I have before described her as a thin sickly-looking woman; and she was now about fifty-two years of age. She was habitually cold, reserved, and distant; but on the few occa- sions that I had seen her, she had always unbent towards me on account of my conduct to the Earl when he was seized with apoplexy in the railway train. However, since the date of the marriage of her son Lord Frederick with Juliet I had not seen the Countess of Carshalton: and I did not exactly know how she might now receive me,—whether persuading, inducing, or compelling her younger son to enter into that alliance—or whether she might be ignorant of the main details. But it was of little consequence (I thought within my- self) what opinion she might entertain of me; for all her ideas, poor woman! would soon be con- centrated upon another object. It was somewhat to my surprise that the mo- ment I entered the drawing-room the Countess of Carshalton started up from her seat, exclaming, ‘‘ Dear me, Miss Percy! is it indeed you? It is an age since I have seen you! Did you think there was a coolness on our part towards you on account of a certain circumstance ? Alas ! if there were, rest assured that all such feelings were buried in the grave of my poor dear Frede- rick! And I should add that your name has been most favourably mentioned to me in re- ference to the closing incidents of my poor boy’s career !” I knew that the Countess was alluding to her elder son, the Viscount, as the one who had made favourable mention of my name to her; and I said, “ Alas, my lady, it grieves me again to be the bearer of evil intelligence !” | No, no! you do not tell me so!” she said, her pale face becoming still more ghastly in its pallor, and her thin spare form quivering with a strong spasm that shot through it. “Speak!—quick! Keep me not in suspense! The Harl—my husband ne “No, my lady,” I said: “it relates not to his lordship, But I am distressed “My son! my son!” shrieked the unhappy Countess, as a suspicion of the truth flashed in unto her mind. ‘“ He has been out hunting és “Prepare yourself,” I interjected, “for some- thing terrible: but put your faith in heaven, for the evil may not be beyond redemption !” “My son! where is he?’—and never shall I forget the wild thrilling anguish with which the cry pealed forth. I now told her everything; and the unhappy mother precipitated herself down the stairs to meet her first-born. The Viscount had been borne into the hall: the servants were collecting—con- spreading throughout the mansion. The Earl of Carshalton, who had been walking in the grounds, was speedily fetched; and nothing could exceed sternation, dismay, and confusion were already - COMME IOC © cS (E(0) at ee - ———- ee. ——— a