Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 383: what you’re looking at

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

' rr ET aa a ee 370 ese tessa" ELLEN PEBCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. that she would not. The Colonel threatened to spoil ber with the Marquis of Tynedale. She said that she defied his threats, for that she would tell the Marquis the whole truth, explaining why she had visited the house, and that his lordship would believe her. The Colonel became terribly exasperated, and swore that he would tell such a tale as should outweigh every representation she might make. “Then,” exclaimed Melissa, “if this is your villanous design, and if there must be open war between us, the soonerI go and givea hint to the officers of justice where they may execute the warrant, the better !”—The landlady and servant, thinking that Melissa was on the very point of issuing from the room, began to make their way down Stairs, when all of a sudden a terrific yell, like that of a wild beast, burst from the lips of the Colonel; and it was accompanied by a sound as of a tremendous blow being dealt, instantaneously followed by the falling of a person on the floor, A shriek also rang through the house, The landlady and her servant were paralyzed with terror: they were transfixed upon the stairs. Another shriek rang forth from the apartment; then another sound, as of a blow, was heard, accompanied by the crashing of glass—and all was for a few mo- ments still! The servant-girl fainted’ on the stairs: Mrs. Mason, recovering her presence of mind—or rather, I should say, impelled by the horrible state cf her feelings — rushed into the room. There a fearful. spectacle presented itself. The unfortunate Melissa lay upon the floor; and the fragments of a broken bottle showed but too plainly how the hideous wounds which were seen upon the forehead, had been inflicted. Her skull was literally battered in! ‘“ Wretch!” cried Mrs. Mason; “ you have murdered her !”—The Colonel looked like one who had just been awakened out of a horrible dream: there was a species of vacant consternation and dismay expressed upon his ghastly countenance. But it rapidly expanded into a vivid consciousness of the horrible crime that had been perpetrated ; and with wild accents, he exclaimed, “ No! no! she cannot be dead! Good God! I cannot have killed her!”—Mrs, Mason stooped down and felt Melissa’s heart; but it had ceased to beat. When she raised her eyes, the Colonel was no longer in her presence; and at the same moment she heard the door communi- cating with the inner room, shut hastily. She sprang towards it—but the key was at the same moment turned in the lock. That inner room was the Colonel’s bed-chamber. The turning of the key was almost instantaneously followed by the report of a pistul, and then a heavy weight fell upon the fluor. Mrs. Mason, in a state bordering on frenzy, rushed to the window of the sitting- room: she threw it open—and she sbrieked for assistance. She was half maddened with the horror inspired by the double tragedy; and her cries alarmed the whole neighbourhood. Hence the concourse of persons which collected so quickly from all quarters, and in the midst of which mul. titude the accident had happened to my carriage. I have now put the reader in possession of all the main facts connected with this appalling tra gedy. J should add that when the police tuok possession of the premises, they found the wretched murderer weltering in the blood of a suicide, and Stone dead. He had put the pistol in Lis mouth, and literally blown his brainsout. It was through the medium of some papers found about his person, that the discovery was made of his name being Bellew instead of Williams. And thus perished Melissa Harrison !—thus also died Colonel Bellew! The unfortunate young woman’s life fell a victim to him who had in past years despoiled her of her honour! It transpired that the child which she had by Colonel Bellew, had died some time previous to the horrible tra- gedy which thus sent the mother herself to a pre- mature grave. Melissa was the mistress of the Marquis of Tynedale at the time when she was unfortunate enough thus to renew her acquaint- ance with Colonel Bellew. Nevertheless, it was evident that she had not voluotarily renewed it— but that he had by some means or another found out where and with whom she was living, and had written to intimidate her into a meeting. Fatal meeting !—it had led to two others;—and the third of those inauspicious interviews had proved the last scene in the existence of Melissa Harrison! Tt must not be supposed that all the details which I have laid before the reader, were afforded by the journals published on the morning that followed the evening of the tragedy. The main facts only were therein given: the minuter par- ticulars subsequently transpired at the Ooroner’s Inguest;—but I have deemed it more expedient to collect the whole at once into a complete narra- tive, so as to avoid bewildering the reader with disjointed details. Count Teleki called to pay his respects ac- cording to the permission he had received; and the favourable opinion which a first impression was calculated to engender with reference to this nobleman, was not impaired by a closer acquaint- ance, I have already said that he was handsome and gentlemanly: I may add that he was intelli- gent—that he had been well educated, and pos- sessed a highly cultivated mind. His manners were polished and elegant, without affectation: they had the brilliancy of the well-bred foreigner blended with the more sterling qualities of the en- lightened Englishman. He had known Juliet’s husband as well as his elder brother, the Vis- count; but it was only slightly that he alluded to them. On the following day Juliet again accompanied me to Carshalton House, that she might take leave of the Earl and Countess. They received her with what may be termed a mild and serene friendliness of manner, without fervour on the one hand and without coldness on the other. On her part, Juliet maintained towards them a de- meanour precisely similar to that which she had displayed during the first interview, The visit was not a long one; and when Juliet rose to take her departure, the Earl and Countess simply kissed her upon the cheek—but they gave her no invitation to return to their mansion. I was glad when the whole scene was over; for it was an ordeal quite as painful for me as for those who might seem to be the most deeply interested in it. I prevailed upon Juliet to prolong her sojourn at my house for three or four days; and we saw the Hungarian nobleman on several occasions. | happened to learn from Lady Carshalton that he was immensely rich, and that he was uomarried: neither did she think that he was what is called CORNIELOOOKS (EC)