Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 381: what you’re looking at

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

| : ————_ + * 368 a ee ee - ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. but he, with a well-bred delicacy, declined,— leave the house in the evening, he was always alleging that the lateness of the hour must de-/| muffled up as if for the purpose of disguise. For prive him of that pleasure on the present occasion. | the first two or three weeks he paid his rent He however requested permission to call and pay his respects on the following day: and he received the assurance that he would be welcome. The intelligence that some terrible transaction had occurred in the neighbourhood, had reached my house a few minutes before Juliet and I arrived there. The maid-servant who opened the door, and Beda who came gliding down the stairs, were alike astonished and alarmed on finding that we had returned on foot, and on perceiving that our looks had a certain wildness in them, while there was also disorder in our toilets—for our bonnets were crushed and disfigured. The acci- dent to the carriage was socn explained, and we hastened to our respective chambers to arrange our toilets. In about a quarter of an hour Juliet and I again met in the drawing-room ; but we had not been seated many minutes there, when Beda came rushing in with a pale countenance and ex- cited looks ; and she exclaimed, ‘‘ It is indeed too true! a terrible crime has been committed! You know the victim !” | “We know her ?” ejaculated both myself and Juliet. “Yes,” replied Beda; “ you know the tnfor- tunate creature! I mean Miss Harrison !” “What! Melissa?” cried Juliet, horror-stricken as she started up from her seat. “Melissa murdered ?”? I exclaimed, equally affected, “ Yes—Melissa Harrison!” rejoined Beda. “ The housemaid has just been to the baker’s to glean what she could—and she has learnt this much.” ~ ** But the author of the crime ?” I asked. ‘Is it true that the murderer has laid violent hands upon himself?” “So they say,” answered Beda: “ but I could learn nothing in respect to him—not even so much as his name.” And nothing more was ascertained that night by any one beneath the roof of my dwelling. When the morning came I was naturally anxious for the arrival of the newspapers, that I might glean additional details in reference to a crime that had produced so tremendous a sensation in the neighbourhood. The moment the morning journals were placed in my hand, I searched for the particular intelligence which so much in- terested me; and the words in large capitals, “‘ Shocking Murder and Suicide of the Murderer,” met my eyes. But as I flung my regards over the article with that sort of shuddering curiosity which renders one anxious to embrace the whole contents of a particular statement at a glance, I encountered the name of Colonel Bellew! An- other moment, and I discovered who the murderer was! . Not merely the murderer, but the suicide also! It was the individual whom I have just named :—it was Colonol Bellew himself! It appeared that some few weeks"previous, a gentleman giving the name of Williams, had taken lodgings at the house where the tragedy had just occurred. This house was kept by an elderly widow named Mason. Mrs. Mason soon began to suspect that everything was not straight- forward and honest with her lodger; for he seldom weat out during the day-time—and when he did ‘ eee — — eee _ _—————ee ee — eee —_—_—_— nS regularly; and then he fell into arrears. About a fortnight previous to the tragedy the lodger sent out a letter to the post; and Mrs. Mason hap- pened to observe (for she herself took it) that it was addressed to Miss Harrison, Tynedale Lodge, Kensington. The very next day a street-cab stopped at the door of Mrs. Mason’s house; a well-dressed and handsome young lady alighted, and inquired for Colonel Williams. Mrs. Mason’s servant said that a Mr. Williams lived there, but that she did not know he was a colonel. The young lady said it was all the same: and she was introduced accordingly to the apartments of the lodger. She remained there about an hour, and then took her departure. Shortly after she was gone the lodger rang the bell and sent out a twenty-pound note to be changed. He then paid his rent, as well as some little debts which he had contracted in the neighbourhood. About a week afterwards he sent another letter to the post, di- rected to Miss Harrison; but this time it was not addressed to Tynedale Lodge, but to some post- office in Kensington, with instructions penned in the corner “that it was to be kept till called for.” On the following day the handsome and well-dressed young lady called again, arriving in @ public cab as on the former occasion. She had not been long with the lodger before their voices were heard in loud altercation; and Mrs. Mason had the curi- osity to go and listen at the door. She gleaned these particulars—that her lodger .was a man of ruined fortunes and desperate circumstances—that he had once been an officer in the Guards—that he was now lying concealed as it were in that lodging, not merely on account of debts, but like- wise because there was 8 warrant against him for having obtained three hundred pounds from some money-lender under false pretences, It was this last-mentioned affair which he was most anxious to settle. Mrs. Mason heard him appea! to Melissa (as he called the young lady) to extricate him from that difficulty. He said he cared comparatively nothing about the debts if he could only get rid of the more serious affair, which would be utter de- struction to him if it were not promptly arranged. Melissa Harrison replied that she could not pos- sibly advance such a sum, and that he had no right to expect it of her. He then began to menace the young lady, and to say that he would let the Marquis of Tynedale know how she had visited him at that house. Melissa remonstrated and entreated; but finding that her words produced no effect, she threatened the Colonel in her turn. Then he became more tranquil, and besought her forgiveness. Melissa said that as he now seemed inclined to be reasonable, she would again go to the extent of assisting him with a few pounds. Mrs. Mason tarried at the door no longer; but she had heard quite enough to give her a deep insight into the character of her lodger, as well as showing her who was the young female that thus visited him; and she was resolved to give him notice to leave her apartments. Now comes the sequel to this sad and fearful episode. It must be observed that the murder took place in the evening of the 3rd of February; and it appeared that on the previous day the EORNIG ODOC) SS (E(0)