Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 130: what you’re looking at

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

Ee LOO LO Otel ts te enter eet, A . 122 AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASCER, verting to Emily. He had seen her set off for | “T know him—his name was Elverstone—he was Kingston, in the chaise which had been sent to ‘shipwrecked at the same time with myself, pre. bear her thither: she was again dressed with min- | cisely eight days back.” | “Ah! then you know him by his apparel P” said gled richness and elegance—and he could not de- | termine whether he most admired her in this latter Mr, Hargrave: “ for if the mother that bore him were to come hither at this moment, she could not garb, or in that apparel which she habitualiy wore and which was characterized by so much neatness recognise in that loathsomely disfigured ‘counte- and simplicity. Indeed, he fancied that in either | nance the face of her own offspring.” way she was eminently handsome and fascinat-| ‘Yes,’ rejoined Barrington: “it was by his ingly beautiful,— though he frequently said to/ raiment that I first had an idea who he was: but himself, “ But I do not the less love my dear, that idea is confirmed beyond the possibility of cousin Winnie! Ob, no!—I never can love any | doubt by these leathern bags in which the wretched one better than Winnie! Besides, she is a rela- | man secured his gold.” tion—while Emily Pinnock is only a friend!” “Tell me that tale of your shipwreck,” said Mr. While Gustavus was thus engaged in contem-| Hargrave, surveying Gustavus with interest and plating the ocean—but with his thoughts chiefly | attention. ? fixed upon Emily Pinnock, with an occasional} We have already said that the youth was well reference to his cousin Winifred—he perceived | pleased to enter into conversation with a man some dark object floating near the shore at a little | whose habits had hitherto been so completely taci- distance. At first he fancied that it was a piece | turn since his arrival in the neighbourhood of of timber : and indeed for some time he scarcely | Kingston; and Gustavus accordingly began to tell devoted any particular consideration to the object | the history of his shipwreck. He however sought at all: but at length the idea gradually began to sp2ak as modestly as possible of himself in re- stealing in unto his mind that it was a corpse | ference to the old miser Elverstone: but he soon which he thus beheld. He rose and advanced | found that Mr. Hargrave was as keen in penetra- towards it; and it was now go close upon the ting the truth and as pertinacious in questioning shore that his suspicion was at once confirmed. | him as Mr. Pinnock had been on the first evening Tt was indeed a corpse! Gustavus forthwith pro- | of his introduction to that merchant. Thus after ceeded to drag it upon the strand; and then he a little while Mr. Hargrave wormed out of Gus- found it to be the body of the old miser Elver- | tavus every particular in respect to the youth’s stone. But so disfigured were the remains of the generous conduct towards Elverstone; and it was deceased—so hideously loathsome was its counte-| with increasing attention and interest that the nance, on which the fishes had banqueted—that it | misanthrope surveyed the young sailor. was only by the apparel the youth was enabled to; “You are one,” he said, “who are seeking your establish the identity. fortune in a career of danger and vicissitudes, If Yes—the corpse of Elverstone it assuredly was! | the deceased miser Elverstone have relations ——” —for there, beneath the outer garment, were the| “I happen to know,” interrupted Gustavus, not leathern bags in which the avaricious old man had | foreseeing what was to be the drift of Mr..Har- disposed of his gold. Gustavus recoiled from the | grave’s speech, “that he had neither kith no revolting spectacle ; and as he turned aside, he kindred on the face of the earth. We often con- beheld Mr. Hargrave standing at a short distance, | versed together on board the ill-fated Catharine steadfastly looking on with his arms folded across | Millard: I believe that I was the only person to | his breast. whom he took any liking or with whom he would “‘The sea gives up its dead,” said Mr. Hargrave, , discourse in the least degree freely; and he has | in a low deep voice, “as the heart of man must | often told me that he stood alone in the world— sooner or later give up the mysteries which lie ia / an isolated being, having outlived all his kindred its most secret depths !”’ 'and having no soul with whom ho could claim re- ‘ “ But if those mysteries,’ replied Gustavus, | lationship, or by whom relationship unto himselt | seized with curiosity to draw the misanthrope into | could be claimed.” conversation, “ consist of misfortunes omly, and be “Then, in that case,” said Mr. Hargrave, “take not associated with crimes, the heart can be sen- , you possession of the gold which the miser had sible of no more pain in surrendering them up, | hoarded up. It is your’s for many reasons. Your’s than the corpse when thrown upon the land occa- | because you were the last with whom he spoke on sions to that deep and silent sea.” earth—your’s because you sought to save his life, “True!” said Mr. Hargrave: and fixing his with a thousand perils to your own—your’s be- eyes with penetrating scrutiny upon Gustavus, he cause he promised to reward you if you should added, “Your words were cunningly arranged, succeed in saving him—and your’s because you young man, to fathom the secrets of my heart. have just dragged bis corpse ashore from the sca Ab! there is a blush upon your cheeks. You which has given it up.” sought to learn whether, if the mysteries of this “Yet none of all_these reasons,” replied Qus- heart of mine were given up, they would speak tavus, “ appear to me sufficiently valid to establish of misfortune only, or of crime P But fear not: me in the possession of that treasure. I would I am not angry. Perhaps if I were a criminal, not touch one particle of that gold unless right- my cheeks would have burnt with even a ruddier , fully entitled to it:—and rightfully entitled I glow than your own—but they did not. How- neither am nor ever shall be.” ever, let that pass. Yon unfortunate stranger” Mr. Hargrave contemplated Barrington long —and he pointed towards the corpse—‘* whose and steadfastly; and at length he said, “ What! remains you have dragged forth from the bhosem | is it possible that I meet a human being who will of the ocean i not readily stretch forth his hand to clutch gold “ He is no stranger to me,” interrupted Gustavus. | whensoever it is oflered tu his graspP Bat come! ~~ eee eed ~ owas eomliclhooks.Eeo