Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 384: what you’re looking at

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| | ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. 371 “a marrying man,” for he was always travelling | my toilet after travelling, in preparation for the about from one European capital to another, | dinner-hour, I beckoned Juliet to accompany me ; seldom settling himself anywhere for more than a!and when we were alone together, L exclaimed few months at a time. I may add, while touch- {somewhat abruptly, “ There is something on your ing upon this topic, that the Earl of Carshalton | mind, Juliet P For heaven’s sake tell me what it threw in an eulogium upon the honourable cha-|is! Keep me not in uncertainty and doubt !” racter, good principles, and magnanimous disposi- “tis a letter that I received this morning, tion of Count Teleki. my dear Ellen,” replied Juliet. “ It is from my Juliet returned to River House, having ob. | father * tained a promise from me that I would soon pay She stopped short, and the tears trickled down her a visit there and pass some little time with | her cheeks, I was now seriously alarmed. I berself and Mary Glentworth. Lady Kelvedon progressed favourably and rapidly; and by the time six weeks had elapsed since the departure of Dame Betty for the Con- tinent, her Jadyship was altogether another being. The pledge, therefore, which I had given to the old hag was not forgotten; and I remitted her the remaining two hundred and fifty guineas to make up the sum of five hundred originally pro- mised as her reward if she succeeded in effecting I now accompanied the Earl Hermione’s cure. and Countess of Carshalton into Warwickshire for a month, my faithful Beda going with me; and on my return to London I was gratified by the reception of a letter from William Lardner, dated from New York, where he had arrived in safety. I need scarcely observe that the same packet contained letters for Beda, who was de- lighted to learn that her lover had got thus far on his expedition without experiencing the slightest adventure of an unfavourable character. At about the same time [ received a letter from the Mar- quis of Dalrymple, informing me that his mother still continued in a hopeless condition so far as the skill of the Sardinian physicians was concerned ; but that it was strongly recommended to consult an eminent practitioner at Naples, and that there- fore a removal was about to be made from Genoa to the Neapolitan capital. And it was about this same time that I fulfilled my promise to Juliet by proceeding on a visit to River House: for the day was now close at hand when Mary Glentworth | might expect to become a mother. Before con- cluding this chapter I will remark that Beda did not accompany me on the present occasion ; for she was ignorant of Mary Glentworth’s sad secret— and I considered that secret to be one the know- ledge whereof ought to be confined to the nar- rowest circle possible. men see CHAPTER CXXIX. THE LAWYERS. Ir was late in the afternoon, on a beautiful day at the close of March, 1843, that I arrived at River House. I was most warmly greeted alike by Lady Frederick Ravenscliffo and Mary Glent.- worth: but I had not been many minutes with them, ere I noticed that there was a certain gloom upon Juliet’s countenance. At first I thought it might be through anxiety on Mary’s account ; but I was presently convinced that this was not the solution of the mystery. What secret grief could Juliet cherish P I was anxious to be alone with her that I might be relieved from suspense on this head. Accordingly, when I went up to change | thought to myself that Mr. Norman must be ill at some distant place upon the Continent ; and tbere- fore I was smitten with wonder that Juliet did not offer to depart immediately and fly to the bedside of her sire. She seemed to divine what was pass- ing in my thoughts; for she said, “ Do not be under any alarm, Ellen, on account of my father’s health. Jt is not that which grieves me !” * Explain yourself,” I cried, becoming more and more frightened. “ What means this hesitation, Juliet P Has your father become involved in any trouble or embarrassment on the Continent P” “Jt is something of this kind which threatens him,” replied Lady Frederick. “I will be frank with you, at once, Ellen; and if for a moment [ hesitated to explain everything, it was through ro want of confidence—because you and I are as sisters together it “And you know, my dear Julie,’ I interrupted her, “I have every reason to love and respect your father as if he were my own! You have reiieved me of my fears in reference to his health. But what embarrassment can menace him? Is it of a pecuniary character P” “ Yes,” rejoined Juliet: “ and it is this cireum- stance that made me delicate in explaining mys-if to you; because I know that your means cannot at present be very ample.” * But without another syllable of preface, Julie,” [ interjected, “ pray tell me what is the nature and the extent of your father’s embarrassment.”’ “You know, my dear Ellen,’ resumed Lady Frederick, “ my father never was celebrated for great steadiness or regularity in pecuniary mat- ters. Since my poor mother died fifteen montus ago, my father has not earned a single sbilling by his profession, You may remind me that he had a thousand pounds left him by Mrs. Oldcastle, and the produce of the sale of his furniture :—but the outstanding debts aud the funeral expenses made some inroad upon those aggregated amounts, And then too, one cannot travel over the Continent without a well filled purse mn “TI can very well understand, Juliet,’ I inter- tupted her, “that your father’s resources must be verging towards exhaustion—because you have omitted to mention that generosity of disposition on bia part, which makes him open his purse at the very first syllable of a tale of distress, or at the very first glimpse of a picture of misery. And it is not difficult to conjecture how upon the Con- tinent he may have wet a number of his fellow- countrymen, in circumstances calculated to evoke bis kindest sympathies.” “Such has indeed been the case, Ellen !’ ob- served Juliet ; “ and L thank you, my dear friend, for thus doing your best to screen my father from the imputation of wanton extravagance. ‘be generosity of his heart has led him into the em -—— GoOmicsoo SS (E@)