Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 112: what you’re looking at

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

104, ing round, he beheld another person upon the acene, This was Cicely Neale, with a pistol in each hand. Her countenance was pale—but it ex- AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. The signature of Hector Hardress was allixed to the document, the contents of which he had written to Cicely’s dictation; and as he rose from the chair, she imperiously signalled the valet to pressed the firmest decision, mingled with indig- | approach and affix his own signature as that of a nation —almost with rage. Hector, who had little expected to find the victim of his seduc- tion beneath that roof, was transfixed to the spot; and through the eyelet holes of bis mask his looks were riveted in confusion, bewilderment, and dis- may upon Cicely Neale. A glance had shown her that Agnes was lying in a state of unconscious- ness; and she lost no time in profiting thereby. Noiselessly closing the door, she made an impe- rious gesture for Luke Corbet to pass farther into the room, so as not to be betwixt herself and that door; and he at once obeyed her —for the man seemed utterly overwhelmed with terror at the ap- pearance of Miss Neale. * Now, Mr. Hardress,”’ she said, in a voice which although subdued, was most firm and decisive in its accents, “sit down at that table—commit to paper a solemn declaration that within ten days from the present time you will make me your wife —or mercilessly will L shoot you through the bead !” witness to the deed. But all this while she so levelled the weapons that they held the lives of master and man hanging as it were to threads; and Luke Corbet crept like a grovelling coward towards the chair which she so peremptorily indi- cated. He nevertheless wrote his name plainly and boldly enough; and then Cicely, motioning towards the door, gave utterance to the single im- perious word—* Begone!” Utterly crest-fallen, discomfited, yet full of an impotent rage to which he dared not give yeut, Hardress stole forth from the chamber, followed by his valet. But ere Luke Corbet passed the threshold, he turned his head for a moment; and through the holes of his mask he flung upon Cicely a rapid look. She answered it with a glance of triumphant intelligence; and then the men disappeared from her view. Miss Neale now advanced towards the couch: and finding that Agnes was still wrapped in the, profoundest unconsciousness, she took up the As she thus spoke, Cicely held one weapon}document from the table—and stealing back to levelled point-blank towards Hector’s countenance, and the other towards Luke Corbet. The expres- sion of her features was that of the strongest re- solve; aud Hector Hardress, who knew her cha- racter and disposition well, trembled with an almost mortal terror as he felt that his life hung upon a thread. Fasten, sir,” shesaid: “there is not a minute tolose! Decide!—you know that you are in my power!” And Hector saw that such was the case. All the circumstances of his predicament swept through his mindina moment. The forcible yet stealthy nature of the entry which had been effected into the house—the black masks which he and his companion wore, and which would be re- collected by Agnes when she returned to con- sciousness—all bespoke a case of burglary in which any individual would be justified in shooting the offenders on the spot. For a single instant he thought of rushing at Cicely and endeavouring to overpower her; but the pistols were most menacingly levelled at himself and his follower; and there was in the expression of Miss Neale’s countenance so much stern decision that Hector dared not attempt violence nor hesitate another instant what course to pursue. He accordingly sat down at a table on which there were writing-materials; and as Cicely bent over him to’ dictate, he shuddered with s cold horror on feeling that the muzzle of one of the pistols was touching the back of his head. He was completely in the power ot that strange, courageous, desperate young woman; and he was compelled to yield to her imperious will. ** Seek not,’’ she said, in a firm though whisper- ing voice, ‘‘to disguise or alter your signa- ture with the hope hereafter raising a doubt in respect to its genuineness; for I am not to be trifled with! To me it is now the same whether this night I wreak a deadly but safe re- venge for all iy wrongs—or whether I coerce you into such a pledge of atonement which you will not dare violate.” rt mee ee ee —— — SS oe ll a ee Steen nares her own chamber, secured it, together with the pistols, in her box. “Had he refused—or had he attempted the least violence,” she murmured to herself, “ I would have consummated my vengeance ruthlessly ana remorselessly! Butit is far better so!”—and she glanced triumphantly towards the box in which the deed was secured. She then returned into Miss Evelyn’s chamber: but she did not immediately adopt any measures ‘for the restoration of the young lady. It did not suit her purpose that an alarm should be raised until Hector and his valet were safe out of the premises, and consequently out of pur- suit. The house was all quiet: the entire scene had passed unheard and unsuspected by the domestics ; and thus Agnes could never know that Cicely had suffered some little while to elapse ere she ad »pted the requisite means to bring her back to conscious- ness. When Miss Neale fancied that a sufficient in- terval had gone by to place Hector aud Luke Corbet beyond the reach of any danger, she began to bestow her attentions on Agnes. Our young heroine slowly opened her eyes—for the stupefying effects of the chloroform did not pass immediately away; and now Miss Neale thought it prudent to summon the domestics and to assume an excited and terrified expression of countenance. The villa was therefore speedily a scene of con- sternation and dismay : but Cicely soon began to perform a part of heroic boldness, by descending to ascertain (as she said) whether the burglars were still upon the premises. Rachel would not sufter her to proceed alone ; and the means by which the entry had been effected was very quickly ascertained. We need hardly observe that Agnes was powerfully excited when, being brought back to complete consciousness, she remembered how she had seen two individuals with black masks in her chamber. But no- thing had been carried off; and thus Miss Byelyn and the domestics fancied they had every reason to congratulate themselves that they had