Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 334: what you’re looking at

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

eens 326 AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEARULN. his part being one of the principal causes. How- ever, such was the fact ; and he naturally con- sulted his solicitor in respect to the means of ex- tricating himself. Then Mr. Waldron, for soma purpose relative to which we will not pause to offer a conjecture, began to wind the toils of the law gradually and gradually around my unfor- tunate grandsire—agegravating difficulties instead of mitigating them—complicating all that was simple—and multiplying the sources of embarrass- ment instead of diminishing them. It was the same, Miss Evelyn, as if I were to take this reel back my grandfather's affairs were taken out of the hands of Mr. Timperley ; and under the aus- pices of Mr. Wardour, were placed in those of the eminent firm of Cartwright and Co.” “ Yes—you told me of these facts,” said Agnes, —‘and likewise of the handsome sum of between fourteen and fifteen thousand pounds which you had lodged in the Bank of England to be in readi- mess at any moment to effect your grandfather’s emancipation.” “And I have also at different times told you, Miss Evelyn,” said Winifred, “ that the Chancery suit of ‘Barrington versus Dalham’ has lasted | of cotton, which is so easy to unwind, and instead longer than my graniifather’s imprisonment, and | of unwinding it at your bidding in a proper and that it was not always very clear whether the | | simple matter, were to wilfully and purposely en- latter had been actually brought about by the for- , tangle it allin a skein of inextricable confusion. mer. Now mark!—for upwards of thirty years Thus acted Mr. Waldron. The consequence was has that lawsuit lasted: fur upwards of five-and- that my grandfather was arrested and put into twenty years has my grandfather been a captive | “gaol five-and-twenty years ago, all his property in Whitecross Street Prison! The truth is, Miss | being swept away under warrants-of-attorney, bills Evelyn, that by dint of the most searching and | of sale, executions In short, Miss Evelyn, [ laborious investigations conducted by Mr. War- cannot now recollect all the legal technicali- dour and Mr, Cartwright, it has transpired that | ties “4 a network of difficulties and embarassments, chica-| ‘Alas !” said Agnes, “ apart from all that legal neries—and—and—excuse me, dear Miss Evelyn— verbiage, the fact is only too sternly patent to but Mr. Wardour and Mr. Cartwright make use | your view, that your unfortunate grandsire was of a very strong term—something worse than du- | sacrificed either by the ignorance or the wicked- plicities # ness of mine !” “Speak it freely,” said Agnes. “Inamatterof| “Oh! Miss Evelyn,” said Winifred, “ there this kind there must be no hesitation. Perhaps— | seems to be no doubt—there is really no doubt,” perhaps—those legal gentlemen say wickednesses— | she emphatically added, “that all this arose from knaveries—or villanies 4 the wickedness and not from the ignorance of Mr. “Well, Miss Evelyn, it is some harsh term of Waldron. It was wickedness wilful and inten- the kind,” said Winifred, generously anxious to | tional !—indeed it has become only too clear that avoid the necessity of becoming more explicit. my unfortunate grandfather was ruined by his “And that network of wickednesses,” said | own solicitor. And then at Mr. Waldron’s death, Agnes, in a voice trembling with emotion,—“ was | Mr. Timperley became my grandfather’s attorney ; it really commenced by my grandfather? Ah! | and he followed in the same course, perpetuating your looks tell me that it was!—and Ob, I am | the same work which his predecessor. had so fatally deeply distressed !” | Initiated—rendering the skein more complicated — The tears were trickling down the cheeks of the | tightening the Gordian knot of difficulties! And amiable Agnes: Winifred could not endure the | this has been going on—this fatal terrible work spectacle—she sprang forward—she threw her | for five-and- -twenty years !—seven years, or there- arms round the neck of our heroine, exclaiming, | abouts, in the time of Mr. Waldron—and nearly “ Weep not, Miss Evelyn! Good heavens! You ; eighteen years with Mr. Timperley! In short, have no reason either to distress or blame yourself : | | Miss Evelyn, my grandfather’s attorneys, who for God knows that you are innocent of wrong- | should have proved his best friends, have been his doing or offence against every living creature ! , most deadly enemies ; for he has not merely been Besides, my dear Miss Evelyn, for whatsoever | detained in prison upon deeds that could never be amount of injury your grandfather may have in- | made good, or upon others which have ceased to flicted on my family, there has been the amplest | have effect, or upon others again which were easy of atonement in all the goodness and kindness which settlement—but every mandeuvre has been adopted, you have testified towards me !” every chicanery put into foree, every possible in- “This is a most generous assurance on your | trigue brought into requisition, to delay the pro- part, Miss Barrington,” said Agnes, wiping away | gress of his lawsuit, Now, can you comprehend, her tears; “ and believe me—Oh, believe me, that | Miss Evelyn, how it is that Mr, Wardour and if there be now any way in whith I can serve you, | Mr. Cartwright, in unravelling this complicated you shall judge by my zeal whether in my own | skein, have discovered and pronounced it to bea person I am not anxious to make towards you | web of wickednesses—and—and every atonement for the misdeeds of a progenitor “‘ Villanies !” exclaimed Agnes indignantly ; of mine towards an aged relative of your's!” “for such indeed they are! But tell me, my “Suffer me to continue my explanations,” said| dear Miss Barrington, how is it that your Winifred; “and then you will comprehend, my | grandfather never looked into his affairs—that he dear Miss Evelyn, how you will be enabled to | never suspected he was thus rendered a victim and serve me. Thirty years ago your grandsire Mr.| a dupe by those who ought to have protected in- Waldren became svlicitor to my grandfather, and | stead of oppressed, and have sought to raise him began to conduct tae memorable lawsuit against] up rather.than adopt measures to “crush him more Sir John Dalbam. My grandfather’s affairs be-| effectually ?” came embarrassed—not on account of the lawsuit “Qh! it would seem, from all that can now be —but for other reasons—perhaps extravagance on | possibly ascertained,” replied Winifred, “that at CoOmiGcbooks:Gcom ,