Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 379: what you’re looking at

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366 where I have another dear friend stopping, and whom I cannot long abandon.” “Then you will come and see us again before you depart?” said the Earl; and now it was with a certain coldness that he spoke. “I will come and pay my respects to your lord- ship and her ladyship,” replied» Juliet, “before I leave London.” There was then an awkward pause—a pause which every one felt to be embarrassing enough. At length Lady Carshalton suddenly exclaimed, ‘‘Would you have the kindness to ring the bell, Ellen ?—and we will have coffee.” The tray was accordingly brought in and handed round; but Juliet declined to take either tea or coffee. Lady Carshalton pressed her with more earnestness than I could have thought that one of her naturally cold and reserved disposition could have possibly displayed; but Juliet simply an- swered, “I thank your ladyship. We had coffee after dinner: and I never take it twice.” A few minutes afterwards she rose from her seat, and said, “ You will excuse me, dear Ellen, for hurrying you away; but I am somewhat fatigued with my day’s travelling, and should like to retire early to rest.” The Karl and Countess did not press us to re- main ; and we accordingly took our leave, the nobleman and his wife slightly kissing Juliet upon the cheek; and not another word was said in reference to the casket of jewels which she had rejected and which lay open upon the table. « When we were again seated together in the carriage, there was an interval of silence,—which was at length slowly broken in upon by Juliet, who, taking my hand, said, “I hope, my dear Ellen, you are not in any way offended with me?” “TI know all you have suffered, Juliet,” I an- swered, “in consequence of the haughty pride of those who would not in times past acknowledge you as their daughter-in-law; and though i de- plore the scene which has just now occurred, I cannot altogether blame you for it,” “ Then we will say no more upon the subject,” she responded; and there was another interval of silence. ‘ Unless,” she presently added, “ it be necessary for me to assure you that I am not heartless: but we all have our little feelings—and I cannot help thinking within myself that if the Earl and Countess of Carshalton had never felt the weight of affliction’s hand, they never would have shown any kindness to me, and I never should have been this day invited to their man- gion.” The garriage pursued its way homeward: and the clocks were striking ten as the equipage turned out of Holborn into one of the streets leading towards the quarter in which i dwelt. It now occurred to me that a strange sound met my ears,—the confused murmuring and buzzing of voices and the rush of footsteps, growing louder and louder, and different from what those sounds usually are in even the most crowded thorough- fares. Juliet quickly noticed the same thing; and clutching me by the wrist, she ejaculated, “ Hush! what is it P” At the same instant the carriage relaxed its pace—the sounds rapidly approached nearer—it was evidently a multitude of people rushing on- ward! What could it mean? We both grew — eee ec A LO LL LL LL LLL LAL LLL LLL LLLP LAA LL ALLL LEE LIAL LIE ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. alarmed: I let down the glass on my side of the carriage, and was about to look forth, when a living torrent began sweeping by—a surging flood of people rushing in evident excitement, and their confused ejaculations bursting forth all round, The equipage now stopped short altogether: it was fairly hemmed in by that ocean of human beings—enveloped by a swarming multitude! The whole street was thronged with a dense mass; and the footman, leaping down from his seat, made his way to the horse’s head—for the aximal, being frightened, was beginning to rear and plunge in a menacing manner. “Sit fast, ladies! there’s no harm!” exclaimed a hoarse voice at the open window. ‘“ You need ( not be frightened !” “Stand by the horse, flaukey !” vociferated an- other. ' * Hold hard, coachman !” roared a third. “Clear the way for the carriage!” thundered another voice: and then I beheld a policeman actively engaged in an endeavour to force back the crowd from such close contact with the vehicle. But it was all in vain: for the officer was hurled with violence against one of the wheels: and put- ting my head out of the window, I asked, “ For heaven’s sake, what is the matter P” * Matter enough, ma’am!” replied the police- man. “There’s murder done in a house close by —and suicide too, I believe from what I’ve heard; so that the whole nieghbourhood is in this tre- mendous state of excitement!” “* Murder ?’””’ ejaculated both Juliet and myself, as if we were speaking in the same breath. “Yes, murder!” replied the policeman. “ But Ah! take care, coachman!”—and now he suddenly spoke with all the excitement of one who beheld some tremendous danger imminent. “Let us out!” screamed Juliet, in the wild ac- cents of terror. “Sit fast, my dear friend !” I exclaimed, with: out losing my presence of mind, But now it was veritably a fearful spectacle which met our view,—the gas-lights of the street and the lamps of my carriage illuminating the en- tire scene, The ocean of people was surging on- ward: they were scrambling and rushing—pouring on frantically, each individual endeavouring to force for himself the speediest passage, and all seeming must painfully intent upon escaping from some danger which now appeared to menace them- selves, The wildest cries burst forth; but besides the horrid discora thus raised, there quickly came upon our ears the tramplings of galloping horses and the quick rumbling of heavy wheels. ‘The cause of danger was soon visible. A railway car- rier’s van, drawn by three horses, but with only a moderate quantity of goods heaped up in it, was being dragged along the street at a tremendous pace. According to the account which I subse- quently read in the newspapers, the three horses had taken fright on finding themselves suddenly enveloped by the torrent of human beings; the driver lost all control over them—and on they sped! It was indeed an awful scene; for many human beings were trampled to death beneath the hoofs of the infuriate animals, or crushed beneath the heavy wheels, or else hurled down and trodden upon by the panic-stricken multitude. (E (ECO)