Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 139: what you’re looking at

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

—~ AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. Ab ! you know it P” cried Mr. Pinnock. “ But | Emily herself . mS rt i rr re ee ere 131 so and let us speak no more upon the subs “Js undoubtedly ignorant on the point,” at | ject.” once added young Barrington. ‘‘ The tale reached my ears e, **Oh! I dare say,” interrupted the merchant, ‘it is no very great secret after all! know it to a man—and doubtless you have been chatting with them—and they are fond of a gossip. But you toll me that you mean to return to England without delay—that you wish to form this engagement, and that you will come back speedily to fulfil 1t ?” “Such is my intention, ”? the merchant’s assent to his suit for the beautiful Emily’s hand. There was some little more conversation on the | subject: but Gustavus did not think it necessary to inform Mr. Pinnock that he had received the intelligence relative to the quadroon’s parentage from Mr. Hargrave. It was a point on which he delicately forbore from expatiating, not only on account of the subject itself, but likewise because he did not wish it to be thought that Mr. Har- grave, whose intentions were evidently most kind and generous towards him, had descended to mere gossip or tittle-tattle. And now Gustavus was burning with a joyous desire to acquaint Wmily with the result of his appeal to Mr. Pinnock ; and as he suddenly caught a glimpse of a white drapery at a little distance in the garden, he started and looked eagerly forth from the casement, The worthy merchant com- prehended what was passing in the youth’s mind and what thus excited him; and with a gay laugh, he said, “Go, my dear boy—fly to your beloved. I know that you long to be with her; and it would be cruel to detain you.” Forth from the open casement did Gustavus accordingly speed; and in a few moments he was with the quadroon girl. With fervid rapture did he strain her in his arms; and she therefore com- prehended that her uncle (as she regarded Mr. Pinnock) had given an affirmative response. Again she elung to her lover with all that impassioned fondness which she had previously displayed towards him: her beautifully modelled arms— warm, plump, and firm, but with a skin of velvet softness—were thrown about his neck; and the arduur with which his own caresses were bestowed, was equalled by that with which Emily’s moist red lips gave them back. _ You are mine, dearest Emily! Iam your’s!” exclaimed Gustavus: “your uncle has given his consent—the engagement exists between us—and we have confirmed it with our kisses! Oh, a fow weeks will soon pass!—and on my return from England I shall conduct you to the altar!” “Then you are decided upon undertaking this voyage, Gustavus?” said the quadroon, who was now walking slowly by his side; and her large luminous eyes, glancing up at his countenance for & moment, were immediately afterwards bent downward, “ Dearest, dearest Emily! have I not already assured you,” asked Gustavus, “that it is a duty paramount above all other considerations P—and | have not you yielded your assent that this duty must be accomplished f” ee. _t lone The niggers | answered Gustavus, | his heart beating with rapture at having obtained | “Only one single word, dearest Emily !—only |one word more upon that topic!” exclaimed the young man. “To-morrow your uncle will con- vert my ore and gold dust into money; and then will I lose not a moment in taking my departure, so that I may return all the more speedily bs But at this instant Gustavus stopped short; for some white drapery at a little distance amongst the shrubs of the garden, caught the eyes of him- ‘self and Emily,—the latter at once saying, ere rounding objects * Hush ?” Although the evening was now far advanced, yet the heavens were beautifully clear; all sur- were distinctly visible ; and moderate-sized print might have been read. The white drapery was advancing; and in a few mo- ments its wearer revealed himself in the person of the colossal black who bore the name of Nelson. Again, as on the former occasion when they met this man, did Emily shrink towards her lover and cling to his arm as she took it ; and such were the Suspicion and mistrust which Gustavus enter- | tained for the hideous negro, that he held himself in readiness to defend his well-beloved against an attack which he could not help thinking the man was quite capable of making, But Nelson only bestowed a respectful salutation on both; and he continued his way towards the villa, bearing in bis hand a letter, which was evidently the cause of his presence there on the occasion. Indeed, we may as well observe that it was some friendly commu- nication from Mr, Thurlow, Nelson’s master on the neighbouring estate, to Mr. Pinnock. “That horrible negro always terrifies you, dearest Emily,” said Gustavus, when Nelson had disappeared from their view. “For heaven’s sake be careful when I am away from you!—do not wander forth alone in unfrequented places! You promise me this, dear Emily ?” ‘I promise you, Gustavus,” she replied, They continued to roam together in the garden until beyond the hour when coffee was usually served up; and on returning to the apartment in which Mr. Pinnock was sti!l seated with his wine and cigars, that gentleman good-naturedly and gaily exclaimed, “ On my soul, you will make a handsome couple!” Gustavus gazed with enthusiastic fondness upon the beautiful quadroon, through the duskiness of | whose complexion the warm blood mantled richly, | while her looks were bent down in modest confu- sion at Mr. Pinnock’s remark. At length, Emily’s usual hour for retiring arrived: but Gustavus sat up a little longer with Mr. Pinnock, who was fond of a gossip with a companion. At last however young Barrington sought his own chamber ; and previous to disap- parelling himself, he emptied his pockets, as was |his wont,—depositing their contents -upon the drawers, and placing his clothes outside the door to be brushed by tho domestics in the morning. Amongst those contents of his pockets was the key of the cupboard in which he had secured the gold : and Gustavus could not help taking a peep at his treasure before he retired to rest ; for he thought within himself how much happiness the possession of that wealth would enable him to infuse into the Comiclooolks “Yes,” sbe murmuringly replied: “it must bo ° mm ne nl ee ee eee Olin