Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 399: what you’re looking at

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386 ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. ——_—$—$—$ $$$ $l Dalrymple led Mary Glentworth to .the altar.| the most friendly gratitude that Juliet accepted There was a small and select circle of friends as- | these various proofs of the noble couple’s favour. sermbled at my house to constitute the bridal party. | As @ matter of course, they were invited to be pre- Mr. Norman gave the bride away; Miss Wyvill| sent at the bridal,—which, as I have already stated, (one of Lady Kelvedon’s sisters) and myself acted | was arranged to take place in Kent. t as bridesmaids. Mary looked remarkably hand-| Accordingly about one month after the mar- some; and the bridegroom seemed alike to be/ riage of Herbert and Mary, a somewhat numerous proud and fond of her. When the wedding break- | party was assembled at River House. There were fast had been partaken of at my house, the newly- the Earland Countess of Carshalton—Mr. Norman married couple set off in a travelling carriage for | and Juliet— Mr. Wilkinson, the lawyer — Lord Dover, whence they proceeded to the Continent | and Lady Kelvedon—Miss Wyvill—Colonel and that they might join the ducal family at Naples.| Mrs. Gower—and myself. I had taken Beda with It was on the same day that Count Teleki proposed | me;—and here I may as well observe that both to Juliet. Exactly a year had elapsed since the | Juliet and myself experienced every certainty that death of her first husband, Lord Frederick Ravens-| however the riame of Mary Glentworth (now cliffe; and the Hungarian nobleman had with | Marchioness of Dalrymple) might chance to be characteristic delicacy awaited the expiration of | mentioned within the walls of River House, there the full period of a widow’s mourning before he | was no fear of the secret transpiring which so thus avowed hissuit. His offer was not refused ; | nearly concerned her good name and repute. and Mr. Norman had the satisfaction of beholding| Count Teleki had remained in London to settle his daughter engaged to a noble foreigner of the some few little affairs; but he was to come down highest respectability and possessed of immense | to Dover on the day following our arrival at River wealth | House; and he was to take up his temporary Count Teleki had already obtained from me a fond at the Ship Hotel ere the nuptial cere- statement of the exaet position of Juliet’s affairs ; | mony would serye as the signal for his depar- and he now displayed the natural generosity of his| ture with his bride on their Continental toar. disposition. He suggested that Juliet should make | The Count came according to appointment; and over River House and all the other property to her | happiness was depicted upon his fine handsome father, eo that the latter might be placed in inde- | countenance, while smiles of love and joy irradiated pendence with an income of nearly a thousand a- | the beautiful features of my friend Juliet. The year. In consideration of this proceeding on | Count dined at River House in the evening of his Juliet’s part, Count Teleki voluntarily made a set- | arrival at Dover; and little thought I when we tlement of three thousand a-year upon her, besides | sat down to the banquet, how memorable that purchasing in her name a splendid mansion in| evening was to prove in the annals of my own Belgrave Square—for the nobleman purposed to | existence! pass a considerable period every year in Eng-| It was the 3lst of July, 1843; and I had com- land. pleted my twenty-first year. Heaven knows I Pecuniary matters being thus handsomely and | was not envious of the happiness which Juliet ex- eligibly settled, it was agreed that the marriage | perienced; but I could not prevent a feeling of should take place at River, so that Mr. Norman | sadness from coming over me, as I sat at the might give his daughter away from the house | dinner-table. I strove to rallf my spirits to the which had now become his own abode. Besides, best of my ability; but I could not succeed— the honeymoon was to be passed upon the Conti- | though I believe that F veiled this mournful sen- nent ; and Dover was close by for the purpose of | sation so as not to betray it. I would not for the embarkation. I suggested to Juliet that for more | world have thrown a damp upon the happiness of reasons than one it would be expedient, or at least | that scene which was taking place on the eve ofa proper for her to pay her respects to the Earl andj bridal! Besides, I myself was the object of so Countess of Carshalton ; for I represented to her | much kindness and consideration on the part of that not only was she their caughter-in-law—but | every one present,—such dear friends of mine her intended husband, Count Teleki, was intimate | were there—Juliet, Aline, Hermione—and then with them ; and moreover, they had expressed their | too there were the Earl and Countess of Car- approval of the match, and had spoken in very | shalton, and the worthy Mr. Norman, who re- kind terms of herself. I likewise bade her observe ed me with a species of parental affection that as the star of her happiness was in the as-|—that I felt I should be guilty of something cendant, and she was about to become more bril-| that might even savour of ingratitude if f liantly settled in life than ever she had yet been, | were to exhibit sadness and mournfulness while it was an excellent opportunity for the renuncia- ! they were all in their turns saying kind and cheer- tion of all old rancours;—and she made no diffi- | ful things unto me. But soon after the dessert culty in yielding to my arguments. She accord- | had been placed upon the table, a sense of such ingly accompanied me to Carshalton House, where | deep depression stole over me that I felt asif I @ very different scene took place from that which | must inevitably burst into tears. I rose from the had occurred on the former occasion of the visit | table, and left the room. thither; for now every unpleasant feeling was laid| It was a little past seven o'clock in the evening aside, and the embrace in which she was folded by | —the weather was exquisitely beautiful—a gentle Ahe Earl and Countess, was cordially returned. | breeze was attempering the sultriness which had Many costly gifts were now bestowed by the Earl | marked the sun’s progress that day—and the love- and Countess upon Juliet: they included the | liest flowers were stili pouring forth their fragrance . casket of jewels which on a former occasion had | around me ere they folded their leaves to woo a been so positively declined ; but this time no re-|dewy slumber. The scene produced a sudden fusal was cffered—and on the contrary, it was with | tranguillising effect upon my miod, so that the eee ee ECORMIELOOO K€, (EC)