Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 195: what you’re looking at

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

Cane nm > sat AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, been made upon Cicely’s dower. Some few of Hector’s male friends called upon them the mo- ment they were settled in their new home: but none of the ladies of the aristocracy stopped in their carriages to leave a card at that house. WNo- thing was known to the discredit of Ciceiy: but still the union of Lord Mendlesham’s son and heir with a lawyer’s niece was considered to be a match not deserving of countenance,—at least so long as Hector’s own family abstained from stamp. ing it with theirapproval. Lord and Lady Mendle- sham vowed that they never would accord this ap- proval; and they haughtily proclaimed that “the young woman styling herself the Hon. Mrs. Hard. ress, should never cross the threshold of their man- sion.” This saying was by some means or another wafted to Cicely’s ears; but instead of exhibiting either indignation or annoyance, she simply said, in her usual quiet tone of confidence, “ We shall see.” Lord Mendlesham was, as the reader will recol- lect, to a certain extent a client of Mr. Timperley, through whose hands the income allowed to Mrs, De Vere was paid. Mr. Timperley was therefore acquainted with a certain secret in respect to Lord Mendlesham ; and his lordship, upon hearing of the marriage, naturally conceived that the old lawyer had invyeigled Hector into this alliance with his niece. His lordship went privately to Mr. Tim- perley’s office to reproach him on the subject: but Mr. Timperley vowed and protested that he was perfectly innocent on the point, and that he was not even aware his nieces was acquainted with Hector until after the elopement took place. As a proof of this statement, Mr. Timperley dis- played the letter written by Hardress from Edin- burgh; and Lord Mendlesham was compelled jto be satisfied. “ Nevertheless, Timperley,” he said, “I never will acknowledge your niece as my daughter; and if you make such a request on her behalf, there shall be an immediate end of all dealings betwixt you and me. You know that I have privately re- commended you a number of excellent clients; and you must therefore calculate whether it be worth your while to quarrel with me—especially as such a quarrel would only be for a fruitless pur- pose, inasmuch as you would not succeed in your aim. No!—sooner than yield, I would suffer you to turn spitefully round upon me and proclaim all you know of a certain episode in my life!” “My lord,” replied Mr. Timperley, obsequi- ously, “I will never betray the secret; and I humbly hope that your lordship will not with- draw from me that patronage which though pri- vately demonstrated, has nevertheless been of tho utmost service.” “On the understanding, therefore, that you neyer mention to me the name of your niece,” replied the nobleman, “I will consent that in all other respects you and I remain the same towards each other as heretofore, As for my son, I shall make him a small allowance. I cannot at my death exclude him from his heritage of titles and estates: but so long as I live, I will exercise the paternal power—and [ will discard him !” Having thus spoken, the indignant Lord Men. dlesham left the attorney’s office. We should observe that although Cicely had 187 been informed by her uncle that Lord Mendale- sham was one of his clients, she suspected not that there was any particular secret between them ; or elso she would have very soon extorted if to use for the purposes which she had in view. When Mr. Timperley had mentioned to her that his connexion with Lord Mendlesham was of a private character, and that the fact was not to be repeated to Hector,—Cicely had supposed that they were mere money-affuirs to which her uncle alluded; for she knew that he was accustomed to advance loans to the aristocracy: but she did not consider such a circumstance in respect to Lord Mendlesham to be of sufficient importance to be called to the aid of her own projects. In other words, she did not conceive that the power of Mr. Timperley as a money-lender would be suffi- cient to induce Lord Mendlesham to stifle his prideful feelings and acknowledge her as his daughter-in-law. She therefore looked to other means for the accomplishment of this aim. Hector Hardress had necessarily discovered that his valet Luke Corbet had for some time past been playing a treacherous game towards himself, and one that was in favour of Cicely. Now that Cicely had succeeded, and that Hardress submitted to his destiny, he might have pardoned Luke Cor- bet and buried the fact in oblivion: but every fashionable young gentleman likes to have a valet in whom he can trust—and Luke was no longer trustworthy. Taerefore Hector decided upon dis- charging him the moment they returned to Loa- don; and Cicely knew that it would be anontrage upon her husband’s feelings to take the valet’s part. She therefore assented to his dismissal: but she obtained the promise that a good character should be given to Luke whenever it might suit his purpose to obtain another situation:—and she privately added with liberality to the bribe she had already given the man. She had moreover still some work for him to do, in furtherance of certain projects which she was about to carry on» unknown to her husband. Cicely was ambitious; and she was therefore enterprising, as all ambitious people are. She had succeeded in making a good match: she had ale ready the title of Honourable prefixed to her name ; and in the course of events she would be- come Lady Mendlesham—a peer’s wife! But all this was not sufficient. She must be recognised by her husband’s family; and as the result of that recognition, she must be introduced to the best society. These were her aims; and she was re- solved to accomplish them, Besides, there was a tincture of vindictiveness in Cicely’s disposition ; and she felt that it would be sweet to humble the pride of Lord and Lady Mendlesham, as well as to force those ladies of the aristocracy who now kept coldly aloof, to hasten to overwhelm her with their courtesies, It was a month after the marriage that the inci- dents oecurred which we are about to relate. One evening Cicely was seated alone in her elegantly- furnished drawing-room at Bayswater ; and half- reclining upon the sofa, she was reflecting on her projects. Hector had gone out to dine with some friends at an hotel ; for Cicely encouraged him in seeking amusement away from home—not merely because his occasional absence was convenient to herself, but likewise because she did not wish him CoMmiclbooolks gS _——-—=_ oa ee eee ee Oin -