Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

us i Nn ee OO beauty. There was something frank as well as spirited in the look of his large clear dark eyes,— and something that indicated goodness of dis- position as well as firmness of character in the expression of the well-shaped mouth. He was dressed well—that is to say, genteelly, without the slightest approach to foppishness or coxcombical pretensions, His plain black neckerchief was tied neatly, but without any evidence of study or straining to produce an effect with an egregious bow ; so that the made-up dandy would have pro- nounced it to be absolutely negligent. Altogether he might be regarded as the representative or type of the fine English youth unspoilt by the affectations, the frivolities, and the artificialities which of late years had obtained so strong an in. fluence and tended to render young Englishmen 60 nauseatingly ridiculous. The youthful clerk whom we are thus noticing, pursued his way through the various thorough- fares leading towards the Regent’s Park. Occa- sionally he looked at his watch, evidently to time himself, so that withovt rendering the process of walking a laborious toil, he might still proceed with a sufficient quickness to enable him to reach his destination with a punctuality that should pre- vent him from keeping the dinner waiting. Scarcely had he entered the Regent’s Park, when he suddenly started even in the midst of his walk; and a glow of pleasure heightened the natural animation of his fine countenance. A little way in front of him—proceeding in the same direction, but at a less rapid pace than himself— were two young ladies, whom he had at once re- cognised. Their backs were towards him; and it was not so much by their dress that he thus knew who they were, as by the beauty of their figures. They were both of the same height, and above the | medium stature, if mot actually tall. Dark ringlets escaped from beneath the bonnet of one; and she was somewhat of a fuller shape than her companion—but still of a form that was perfectly modelled. Light tresses, of a golden auburn hue, tell from beneath the bonnet of the other; and her figure was of a more sylphid slenderness than that of the first-mentioned young lady. The Government clerk knew them each by those tresses—knew them each by those shapes; and thus their toilets had really nothing to do with this recognition. Yet we must say one word in respect to those costumes. That of the dark- haired, Hebe-shaped young lady was characterized by its richness as much as by its elegance: while the toilet of the fair-haired and sylphid damsel | was perhaps more pleasing on account of its sim- plicity and utter absence of pretension. The young clerk now relaxed his pace, in order to remain for a little while behind those ladies, that he might indulge in the choice of whatsoever reflections their presence—or we ought rather to say the presence of one of them had excited in his mind. The reader may have already surmised that he was nut acquainted with them otherwise than by sight; for if he had been on speaking terms, he would have felt only too glad to accost them, that he might enjoy the happiness of their society. Presently, however, on reaching the cor- ner of one of the roads which intersect the Re- gent’s Park—the young ladies paused, as if deli- berating in which direction they should proceed— | AGNES; OBR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. 21 whether they should repair homeward, or extend their ramble. While thus conversing the dark- haired one happened to look round; and as the young Government clerk now saw that his pre- sence was perceived, he dared not, for courtesy’s sake, continue to linger behind those charming creatures: but he was compelled to pass them by. He did so, and continued his way: but it was not without flinging a furtive glance towards one ;— and that one was not the dark-haired, Hebe-shaped beauty, but her companion with the tresses of auburn gold and with the sylphid form. “That, dear Agnes,” said the dark-haired girl, “‘is the young gentleman who has lately come into our neighbcurhood, and who lives with his mother, you know, at Belmont Cottage. He goes past the Villa regularly every morning at nine o’clock; and returns as regularly at five. I wonder what he can be? At all events he is exceedingly good- looking.” “‘ Hush, my dear Floribel!” said Agnes: “it is not becoming to notice the looks of young gentle- men who are strangers to us.” “ Heavens, Agnes!”—and a half-stifled scream burst from the lips of the dark-haired Floribel, as seizing her companion’s arm, she drew her forcibly back at the very moment they had commenced crossing the extremity of the diverging road. The ejaculation of alarm was caused by the suds den approach of a horseman whose steed was evi- dentiy unmanageable; and in another instant the young ladies would have been run over. It wasa gentleman of very handsome and distinguished appearance who was thus the unwilling cause of their alarm and danger; and though he was per- fectiy skilled as an equestrian, yet so high was the spirit of his horse, mingled perhaps with vicious- ness, that he had evidently lost all control over it. Now it began to rear and plunge: then it launched forth its hind legs as if to kick its rider from its back; and then it rushed upon the path to which the affrighted damsels had retreated. There was ' now again a moment of serious imminent danger for those young ladies,— when all of a sudden an- other person appeared upon the scene of excite- ment. This was the Government clerk; and boldly rushing in front of the horse, he caught the bridle, close up to the bit, on either side with his two hands,—though actually perilling his life in consequence of its terrific plungings. He made the horse back itself into the road: its rider leapt off ; and his groom coming up at the moment, the animal was consigned to the man’s charge. “Lead him home, William,” said the gentle. man. “God knows I am no timid rider—but it 1s downright folly to risk one’s neck in this fashion.” The groom—who was dressed in an elegant livery, and who himself bestrode a splendid animal —touched his hat, and led away the vicious steed, which continued to exhibit certain unmistakable signs of an evil temper as it was being conducted along. There was a mingled levity and haughtiness in the tone as well as the manner in which the dis- mounted rider addressed his domestic: but, as we have already said, he was handsome, and had a | distinguished appearance. He was tall—taller even than the young Government clerk: his age might be about two and twenty ; he had an ariste CoOMmclbooolks — er ee