Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 148: what you’re looking at

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140 expiring ?—He then read the billet, and a gleam of satisfaction appeared upon his countenance.— ‘She writes more temperately than I could have anticipated,’ he said: ‘she desires me to grant her an interview this evening at half-past nine o’clock just within the gates of the Regent’s Park. Per- haps she has become reasonable at last; and she will accept some such terms as those which I hinted at to her a little while ago.’ ” If Cicely Neale’s veil had been raised at the moment, Luke Corbet would have seen how scorn- fully disdainful, how loftily contemptuous was the smile which wreathed the young lady’s full red lips, and how kindred fires flashed forth from her eyes. “Ah! he thinks that I am yet to be appeased, and satisfied with gold!’’ she muttered to herself: then speaking audibly to Luke Corbet, she said, “ And so you think it is tolerably certain that he will come P” “After all that Mr. Hardress said when I gave him the billet,” replied Luke, “I feel convinced that he will keep the appointment. Of course, Miss, being entirely devoted to your interests, and after all your generosity towards me, I put ina word or two to further your views,—yet taking good care not to excite his suspicion against my- self.‘ It is a very ugly business, sir,’ I pines, - ‘and I do hope you will be able to settle it.’— ‘Well,’ he replied, ‘I think I shall; for Miss Neale must see when she comes to reflect, how impossible it is that I can fultil the promise which she extorted from me.’—‘ Pray bear in mind, sir,’ I added, ‘that if Miss Neaie were to show that paper to his lordship your father, it would lead to all sorts of unpleasant inquiries: I should be ques- tioned; for my name, you know, sir, appears as a witness to the document; and everything would inevitably come out in reference to the night entry into Sidney Villa.’—‘ Yes, it is indeed very serious,’ said my master ; ‘and between you and me, Luke, I would do anything short of marrying Miss Neale to set the affair at rest.’—‘ Besides, sir,’ I con- tinued, ‘with all due deference it has struck me that Miss Neale might make another use of the document: she might put it into the hands of a lawyer and sue you for breach of promise of mar- riage. Her uncle, you know, sir, is an attorney, and is noted as one of the sharpest practitioners in London. It would be a very awkward affair if such a thing took place, and if you had to de- fend such an action. I should be put in the wit- ness- box’ ‘I see that you are devilishly afraid of yourself,’ interrupted Mr. Hardress, with some show of angry impatience; ‘but the trouble of the affair is much greater for me.’—‘ Permit me to observe, sir,’ I rejoined, ‘that I have nothing but my character to depend upon; and if this were lost through an exposure of the share which I had in that business the other night’ ‘Heaven forbid that there should be any danger of such a thing!’ ejaculated Mr. Hardress, ‘But pray say NO more upon the subject; and trust to me to deal with it successfully.’—That was all that took place ; and now, Miss, you know everything.” “ You are serving me faithfully, Luke,” replied Cicely ; “and you know that I am not ungrateful. Here! take this purse — it contains twenty guineas.” “A thousang thanks, Miss,” responded the AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. te eel ei ane ee eee valet, bowing profoundly as he pocketed the do- | “You may command me in every- | nation. thing.” *Do you think,” asked Miss Neale, “ that if your master went upon a long journey he would take you with him?” “Tam almost certain that he would,” rejoined the valet,—“ unless indeed it was a journey the circumstances of which he wanted to keep very secret 4 “It is a journey with myself to which I allude,” interrupted Cicely: “and therefore, as you are already acquainted 4 * Oh! in that case, Miss,” exclaimed Luke, “it ~ is next to certain that Mr. Hardress would take me with him. But might I ask - “Ask me notbing now!” interrupted Cicely. “If he did not také you with him, it were need- Jess for me to enter into explanations; and if he should take you, there will be time enough to give them. Now answer me frankly, Luke. You are still willing to serve me to the very utmost, even at the risk of being suspected or even discovered by your master in so doing ?” “IT am decided!” rejoined Corbet. ‘“ What- ever may happen, I have faith in your liberality. If you succeed in bending Mr. Hardress to your purpose, I shall continue in the service of you both: but if you fail, and he should discover that I have been betraying him “ “Then I have promised to provide for youi” ejaculated Cicely; “and you have already re- ceived more than one earnest of my liberality.” **T am contented, Miss,” answered Corbet, with a bow, “to leave myself entirely in your hands.” “Tis well!” said Cicely. ‘‘ But we must now separate; and I will hasten to the appointment which I hope and believe, after all you have told me, your master will keep.” Cicely Neale then glided away from the spot where this conversation had taken place; and in a few moments she reached those gates of the Regent’s Park, in the immediate vicinage of which she was to meet Hector Hardress. On gaining the place of appointment, she slackened her pace —walked to and fro—and reflected upon the course which she was now adopting. In a few minutes Hector came lounging along, smoking a cigar. He adopted this air of fashionable ease and indolence in order to make Cicely Neale fancy that he cared much less than he in reality did for the position in which he found himself placed towards her. When, therefore, he discerned the young lady—whom he at once recognised by her tall form, the fine contours of her shape, and her upright carriage, notwithstanding that she was so closely veiled —he affected to be all the more listless in his demeanour, so as to seem to be all the more easy in his own mind. But not for an instant was Cicely deceived by this appearance on his part. She now thoroughly comprehended his cbaracter and disposition: the letters he had written to Mrs, Chicklade, and which had so re- cently fallen into Cicely’s possession — together with the information just gleaned from Luke Corbet—had fully enlightened the young lady upon that point ; so that she was enabled to smile contemptuously at her seducer’s present attempt to assume a careless, off-hand manner. “ You have come,” she said, accosting him in Gomichbooks a ; : q ’ _ 4