Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

LA LL EL A AGNES ; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. 123 you imagine perhaps that I might prove an incon- venient witness of the fact—and you would no longer hesitate to self-appropriate a part if I were to suggest that we share the treasure between us?” “So far from my being prepared to agree to any such arrangement,” replied Gustavus, with some degree of indignation in his look and tone, “JT will not permit any one to Jay a hand upon that treasnre until the proper authorities be upon the spot to take possession. I know not to whom it may rightfully belong: hut in England I know that there are Lords of the Manor who have pri- vileges in such cases—and it may be the same here: or perhaps the gold should by virtue of the law pass into the public treasury of the island—or be devoted to some special charity. In any case I am resolved - “Fnough, young man! enough!” exclaimed Mr. Hargrave: “ you shall have your own will. You could not for an instant imagine that I—a sort of outcast—a being more isolated than that miser could possibly have been at the time he spoke to you of his isolation,—you cannot con- ceive that I could crave any portion of that trea- sure? Ihave no taste for gold; because gold is only valuable so far as it can enhance the en- joyments of life—and I have lost all taste for life itself. Not to me, then, does whatsoever amount of gold those leathern bags may contain, appear in any other light than the earth itself upon which the corpse reposes. But you, young man, in the very bloom of existence—well-favoured and high- spirited—with the loftiest aspirations, yet deficient in the means of attaining their object—generous of heart, yet lacking the power to display all your noble generosity,—that you should reject that treasure is to me most marvellous! Why, what have not human beings done for gold? The honour of the proudest men has been purchased by it !—the virtue of the most beautiful women has sold itself for that same precious metal! Justice, though blind-folded, has nevertheless been so daz- zled by its luminous rays penetrating through her bandage, that sue has taken the glittering ore and tossed it into her balance, so that the wrong side has weighed down and the side of right has gone up! Yes—every crime known upon this earth has been perpetrated for gold! And yet you recojl even from that which may in the slightest degree savour of @ fault, when if is pro- posed that by so doing you may suddenly become rich !” *Ves—I recoil,” responded Gustavus: “ and not for worlds would I self-appropriate that trea- sure !”” ** Excellent young man!” exclaimed Mr. Har- grave: “rest assured that though you are thus acting from the purest and most disinterested mo- tives, your conduct will nevertheless meet its reward. Remain you here with the eurpse:—you who are armed with the defences of the noblest, qualities, can best protect the dead from the rifling hand of any intending plunderer.” Having thus spoken, Mr. Hargrave hurried away from the spot; and he was speedily lost to the view of Gustavus Barrington. The youth conjectured from the misanthrope’s words, as well as from the abrupt manner in which he had taken himself off, that he purposed to fetch assistance to LE ET Ae LE i gl i et It Nt lt A a ‘remove the corpse to some suitable place for its ‘reception ; and he therefore resolved to fulfil the ‘instructions he had received by tarrying to keep guard over it. He sat down at a little distance, with his eyes however averted from the loathsome spoctacle ; and thus upwards of an hour passed. At the expiration of that interval be beheld some persons advancing towards the spot; and he soon perceived that these were four of the negroes be- longing to Mr. Pinnock’s estate. They carried amongst them a species of bier, on which lay a large cloth wherewith to cover the dead. The corpso was placed upon the bier; and the negroes bent their way towards Mount Pleasant,—Gus- tavus following. But he saw nothing more of Mr. Hargrave. The negroes deposited the corpse in a hut about a quarter of a mile distant from Mr. Pinnock’s residence; and having locked the door, they gave (yustavus the key,—ono of them stating that they had thereby followed out the instructions which Mr. Hargrave had given them. The youth took the key and proceeded homeward. He found that Eimily had returned about an hour back ; and she was already acquainted with the finding of the body of the deceased miser Elverstone; for Mr. Hargrave had been thither to request that assist- ance might be sent down to the sea-shore for its removal to some safe convenient place until an in- quest could be holden upon it. Miss Pinnock had likewise been informed that the dead body had a considerable quantity of gold about it : but she did not breathe a syllable to the effect that she was also acquainted with the manner in which Gustavus had refused to self-appropriate that gold —although there was something in her looks which made the youth suspect that Mr. Hargrave had not remained altogether silent upon the sub- ject. Shortly afterwards Mr. Pinnock arrived at the house ; and on entering the apartment where Emily and Gustavus were seated, he exclaimed, “You need not tell me a single syllable of any- thing that has happened! I know it all! That extraordinary fellow Hargrave came to me at the counting-house; and for half-an-hour he idemnified himself in the shape of talk for whole years of taciturnity. Why, what do you think, Emily P This noble-minded young guesteof our’s refused to enrich himself when by stretching out his hand he could have done so, and when he was actually enjoined to do so by one who advanced a thousand reasons to persuade him that he would be justified in doing it ?” ‘“* I know it, uncle,” answered Emily, in a quiet tone ; and yet there was a slightly perceptible vibration of tremulousness in her accents, * Ab, you know itr” ejaculated Mr. Pinnock, “Then I suppose Hargrave was as communicative to you as he was to meP_ He told me that he had been here, and that he had seen you. His tongue appears to be completely unlocked, and that it only required such unlocking in order to rattle away at a fine rate and make amends for a past eternity of silence. But since you know every- thing, Emily, you have of course been expressing to Mr. Barrington all that was flattering and com- plimentary in respect to bis noble conduct ?” “JT have said nothing flattering or compli- mentary to Mr. Barrington, uncle,” returned Com Ghbook NS ET LT — TT TR S CO©