Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 111: what you’re looking at

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

rr i ee! eS lle eC -tttt~<S~;73 — eC ee eee “ a Se ee tor,—" thanks to the discovery of chloroform! But remember, if we happen to meet any one of the servants “TY will grapple her at once,” answered Luke ; “and trust to me, sir, that not a word shall issue from her lips provided that you will be prompt in applying the handkerchief with that stuff you speak of to the nostrils, so as to quiet her alto- gether.” “All our proceedings,” rejoined Hardress, “ shall be conducted with promptitude and energy. You have your mask about you ?” he added, taking one from his own pocket and adjusting it upon his countenance. The example was immediately followed by Luke Corbet ; so that master and man, with those black vizards, had the air of burglars. The precaution of concealing their faces had been suggested by Hardréss in caso they should have to deal with any of the domestics of Sidney Villa,—his object being to involye in as much mystery as possible the authorship of the bold outrage which he con- templated. The diabolic plan which he had formed, may be briefly explained. His purpose was to carry off Agnes Evelyn to a secluded house which he had hired some ten or a dozen miles distant, and where he resolved that her honvur should be sacri- ficed to his passion. He calculated that when once She found that his triumph and her own dis- grace were accomplished, she would of necessity accept the position of his mistress, and that no disagreeable consequences would result from the villanous outrage by which it was intended to wake her his victim. Hector Hardress had been for the last few days hatching this plot in concert with his valet Luke Corbet: and when in the course of the day which had just passed, the intel- ligence reached him of Floribel’s elopement, for- tune appeared to be favouring his nefarious scheme by the removal of one whose presence in the villa had previously appeared to constitute no mean difficulty, inasmuch as Hector knew, or at least believed, that the cousins occupied the same chamber. Having adjusted the masks upon their faces, Hector and his valet approached the villa. In one front room only was a light to be discerned ; and this was glimmering through the curtains which were closed within the casement of that chamber. Hardress had no doubt that this was the room in which his intended victim slept; and he instantaneously comprehended its position in reference to the staircase, which he hoped very shortly to ascend. Passing round to the rear of the premises, he and his valet at once commenced their operations; for Hardress was well acquainted with all the arrangements and details of the esta- blishment, alike from a knowledge of the interior as from observation made in respect to the exterior in those times when he was accustomed to call at the house and had walked in the garden with the young ladies. There was a glass-door whichhad a shutter fixed up withm. A glazier’s diamond, with which the valet was provided, speedily and noiselessly cut out one of the squares of glass ; and a small centre-bit, plied dexterously, soon made a hole sufficiently large for the introduction ofahand. The screw which retained the shutter was now quickly removed by taking off the nut AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. rr ae 103 fastening it on the inner side. Then the shutter was cautiously lowered; and the extraction of an- other pane of glass enabled Hector to introduce his hand and unlock the door. If the key had not been found in the lock—or if there should have happened to be bolts which could not be reached from the outside—the alternative would have been to cut away a sufficiency of the glass framework to admit a human form; and for all these eventualities the valet was provided with the requisite implements. But the key did happen to be in the lock; and no bolts proved to be fastened. The entry into the house was thus effected: Hardress and the valet found themselves in a pas- sage communicating direct with the hall. A com. plete silence reigned throughout the villa; and treading with the utmost caution, they advanced towards the staircase. This they ascended; and they gained the landing communicating with the principal chambers. But now a chance had to be encountered against which at the outset it was scarcely possible to provide, and which therefore had to be left to the chapter of accidents. It was whether the door of Agnes’ room should be found locked or unlocked. On this chance Hardress knew full well depended the success or failure of his nefarious project. Noiselessly, on tiptoe, did Hector advance to the door of that chamber where the glimmering light had been seen through the curtained windows from the outside. He grasped the handle—he turned it with the utmost caution—his heart leapt with a criminal exultation as the door yielded to his touch. Slowly he opened it sufficiently to listen: all was silent within. A little further he opened it, so as to be enabled to look into the room; and at the same time his hand clutched a kerchief which was strongly impregnated with chloroform. Agnes was wrapped in a profound slumber. The light which was burning on the toilet-table, played upon one side of her couate- nance, thus revealing with a Rembrandt effect the rugularly formed and beautiful profile. The luxu- riant masses of the golden auburn hair lay float- ingly over the pillow: one fair arm was beneath her head—the other reposed, softly curved, upon the counterpane. It was the slumber of angelic innocence in which she was steeped: a halo of purity and chastity appeared to surround her; and yet the better feelings of the profligate patrician were not touched by the spectacle:—on the con- trary, his evil passions were all the more power- fully excited. He was advancing on tiptoe towards the couch, when all of a sudden Luke Corbet kicked his foot against some piece of furniture as he was follow- ing his master; and Agnes started up in affright. Terror and consternation however sealed her lips long enough to enable Hector Hardress to reach the side of the couch ; ana the kerchief which he clutched in his hand was thrust into the young lady’s face at the very instant when a cry for as- sistance was about to peal forth from her tongue. She sank back upon the pillow in a state of un- consciousness ; and it was all the work of a mo- ment from the time that her eyes opened until they thus closed again. But just as Hector Hardyress was on the very point of winding his arms around her form to lift her from the couch, an ejaculation burst from his valet, Luke Corbet; and on look- - Corn re Ss Eloaoolkks Co©