Ellen Percy; or, The Memoirs of an Actress — page 66: what you’re looking at

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

ELLEN PERCY; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF AN ACTRESS. “No,” rejoined Gilderoy: “I receive not gold nor silver from the hands of one whom the de- ceased Zarah loved.” He then rose from his seat: and I was asto- nished at the height of his stature. I had judged that he was tall; bué as his form seemed some- what bowed as he sat in the arm-chair, that pos- ture had concealed his actual height. He now drew himself up to the fulness of his stature: he stood before me erect, at least six feet two inches high. He had a commanding and venerable ap- pearance ; and there was a certain grave dignity in =e 53 markably fair, the purity of her skin being without a blemish; and aslight tint of the carnation rested upon her cheeks. She had a profusion of light brown hair, which she was accustomed to wear in the French fashion then prevalent—turned back from her forehead and clustering in heavy tresses behind her ears. But her eyes were a dark hazel, and the brows were two or three shades darker than the colour of her hair. Fine large eyes were those, shaded by long lashes, —the orbs being habitually full of softness, but sparkling with ani- mation when engaged in the study of the particular his manner which well became a personage exer- | dramatic parts in which I was instructing her. Her cising power and authority, no matter how that | nose was not perfectly straight—it was in the | slightest degree retroussée ; yet it was beautifully influence had been obtained. He rang a bell which stood upon a table: the door opened, and the dwarf made his appearance. Gilderoy merely waved his hand to the deformed being, who thereby understood that he was to escort us fromthe room. Gilderoy bowed with grave affability to me; but he shook Beda by the hand, saying in a kind tone, “I learn that you are faithfully serving a good mistress—continue faithfui—but seek not to step beyond the bounds of the sphere in which you are placed; and above all things avoid the temptations of that ambition which proved so fatal to our friend Zarah !” Having thus spoken, Gilderoy made a sign for us to depart; and we followed the dwarf down the staircase. Instead of conducticg us forth by the way we had entered, he led us along the pas- sage with which that staircase immediately com- municated—he opened a door—we passed out into the street—and the instant the dwarf had clutched the sovereign which I placed in his hand, that door was closed behind us. It was not into a dark gloomy court that we .thus found egress: it was,as I have said, ina street; and my impression was realised that the establishment of Gilderoy Hemp consisted of two distinct houses communicating by means of the long passage which we had threaded. “JT told you there was no danger, dear Miss,” said Beda, “and it was impossible Zarah could have deceived us! Do you not think that the strange old man whose presence we have just left, must really possess the power of accomplishing all he has undertaken ?” “Yes, my dear girl,” I replied: “such is in- deed the impression the interview has left upon my mind.” While conversing upon the particulars of that interview, Beda and I pursued our way: we speedily issued forth from that neighbourhood— and we reached Great Ormond Street in safety. I retired to rest, wondering by what means Gil- deroy would accomplish the task he had under- taken. But taking leave of this subject for the present, I must now speak more particularly than I have hitherto done of that beautiful French girl Aline Marcy, whom I had gratuitously undertaken to prepare for the stage. I have already said that she was about nineteen or twenty—that she pos- sessed delicate features—and that the expression of her ceuntenance was full of an amiable naiveté blended with intelligence. I may now pruceed to give a few additional particulars in reference to her personal appearance. Her complexion was re- ee formed. The configuration of the mouth was fault. less, and it had the sweetest expression that it is possible to conceive. When she smiled, the rosy lips disclosed a set of white well-formed teeth. A little above the middle stature, her figure was symmetry itself,—softly rounded into proportions which pro- mised to become of a more expansive Inxuriance at the period of a riper womanhood. She had a very fine bust: but her waist was exceedingly slender —naturally so, without any artificial compressure. I have seldom seen more beautifully formed arms or more exquisitely shaped feet and ankles. In disposition she resembled Mary Glentworth, being artless, innocent, and confiding: but her manners had a more exquisite polish than those of Mary. The latter was perfectly lady-like; but it was easy to perceive that she had never experienced an ac- quaintance with the saloons of fashion—whereas Aline Marcy had that peculiar refinement which seems almost natural to French ladies. Neverthe- less, as I have already said, she had been reared in England since her childhood; and though to some little extent she followed the fashions of her native land—such as in the arrangement of her hair— yet she might almost be called an English girl, As for the Engiish language, she spoke it without the slightest foreign accent, and with as much fluency as a native of this country. She had now been under my tuition for about five weeks; and I had conceived a great affection towards her. In her dramatic studies she pro- gressed so satisfactorily that I now saw no reason why she should not goon think of making her debut—for which indeed [ had already arranged with Mr. Richards. Mary Glentworth was now likewise studying arduously to prepare herself for the stage; and she took an opportunity of inform- ing Mr. Richards that she also meant to appear under his auspices. Mr, Richards, having a keen eye to business, thought that it would be a grand stroke of theatrical policy if both the young ladies could make their debut on the same evening; and Mary Glentworth was delighted at the idea. Aline Marcy, who was good-nature itself, readity agreed to postpone her own appearance until Mary should be sufficiently prepared to present herself toa Lon- don audience on the same occasion; and I threw no obstacle in the way. Everything was therefore settled in accordance with this aim; and Aline Marcy herself gave Mary Glentworth lessons when I was otherwise engaged. Three or four days after my interview with Gil- deroy Hemp, I found myself alone with Aline Marcy one forenoon; and in the course of conver- sation I said to her, “ Are yousure that when once (COMMU ee eee ee er oe we eee — -- ~ OOO) KK (C@)