Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 340: what you’re looking at

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

832 — of the opulent Mr. Timperley of the present day, do not think of inquiring who he formerly was, or of recollecting everything they may at one time have known about him. Well then, think you that it is worth my while to give an impulse to all such inquiries or to excite all such recollections—to bring my name before the public in connexion with Wal- dron and Ormsby “ And yet, for Agnes Evelyn’s sake,” “you ought to strain a point : “Oh! but there are other considerations besides these which I have been mentioning,” said Mr. Timperley, who began to regret that he had made a confidante of his niece in the present instance, “Listen! After Waldron’s suicide, following so closely upon Morton Evelyn’s disappearance, sur- mises arose that there was something wrong in respect to Morton’s assumption of the Ormsby peerage and to the claims he had made upon the property “ He never received any of the property ?” said Cicely inquiringly. “Never,” answered Mr. Timperley: “but for a little while he bore the title of Lord Ormsby. As I was saying, however, his sudden disappearance, followed so closely by Waldron’s suicide, gave rise to something more than mere surmise and conjec- ture; and the Government official called at this office—for it was Waldron’s, you know—to inquire for all the deeds and documents in any way con- | nected with Morton Evelyn's alleged claims. Of course, my dear Cicely,” added the lawyer, fixing a significant look upon his niece, “I told the Go- vernment official that there were no such papers in the onice, and that I therefore supposed that Mr. Waldron must have destroyed them before he put a period to his own existence.” “ But all the while you knew where the papers were,” said Cicely ; “ you had kept them—you had possession of them—you had secreted them ?” “Yes—or else how could they be now in my possession ?”” asked Mr. Timperley, with a cunning smile. “I scarcely know why I kept them: per- haps I thought that I might some day turn them to a better advantage than Waldron had done ;— for you must remember that by his death my own position was rendered a desperate one, and I was ready to do almost anything to obtaina crust: but fortunately I found at that moment a good client —none other than your father-in-law Lord Men- dlesham—who required me to transact some little business of rather a delicate character, on bis be- half. This affair put me in possession of ready money. I toiled on—I took out an attorney’s cer- tificate—I addressed myself to all Waldron’s old clients — many of them came around me — and thus by degrees I succeeded in making a better business than even he had ever possessed x “ And therefore,” said Cicely, ‘‘ you had no need to make use of the Evelyn papers?” “No: but from time to time I have looked over them—I have examined into their minutest de- tailsa—I have perused the copious memoranda which were the result of Waldron’s long years of research—and I have thought to myself that if ever the real heir of the Ormsby peerage could be found “Well,” interrupted Cicely, “ but you have lost the thread of your discourse. You were giving me reasons to show how it is expedient that Agnes said Cicely, Oe Eee | Ormsby, AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. Evelyn should remain in ignorance of this claim which she now has to the sum of two hundred thousand pounds, as well as the prefix of Honour. able to her name as the daughter of a peer 4. “Yes,” said the lawyer; “I was telling you my reasons. When the Government official called upon me, eighteen years ago, to inquire for the — Evelyn papers, I declared that Mr. Waldron must have destroyed them. That same Government official is still alive—I met him the other day—he knows me well. If I were now to produce the papers, he would recollect the former circumstance —it would all tell against me—it would bring my name into disrepute—it would at once convince the world that I was not merely Waldron’s clerk, but likewise his accomplice In short, Cicely, the whole thing is an affair which I should prefer to leave at rest! It must inevitably do me more harm than good to suffer it to be revived or re- opened! There is only one contingency in which the business could now benefit me; and that is pretty nearly an impossibility -———” “What do you mean ?” asked Cicely. “IT mean, if Morton Evelyn—or rather Lord as we may call him—should be > living * And may not this be possible?” “* No—preposterous! absurd!” ejaculated Mr. Timperley. “Upwards of eighteen years havo elapsed since he disappeared, and nothing more was ever heard of him. He was fond of his wife and devotedly attached to his infant. Think you, then, that if he had lived he would have continued indifferent to their fate? No!—rest assured that the unfortunate young man committed suicide, when fleeing from his house on the me- morable occasion that he rushed from his drawing- room, almost knocking me down as I was standing upon the threshold contemplating the strange and exciting scene before me! Yes—rest assured, I say, that he committed suicide !—for he was like one demented. Ah, it was a scene which one who gazed upon it never can forget !” “Let us suppose, then,” said Cicely, “ that Morton Evelyn has long been dead,—still, my dear uncle, for the sake of his daughter Agnes x “Cicely !” interrupted the lawyer, with stern ness, “I have already told you that it suits my interests to leave the matter entirely at rest, rather than in any way to revive it. In plain terms, I don’t want the past to be talked about $9 “But surely, my dear uncle,” urged Cicely, “ you could devise some means of putting Agnes in possession of her rights. without compromising yourself ?” “T have thought deeply over the subject,” re- joined Mr. Timperley ; “ and I find that it cannot be done without inconvenience or risk to myself. You seem to have taken a great fancy to Agnes Evelyn all of a sudden?” “You know that I liked her almost from the very first instant that I was introduced to her,” said Cicely. “ But now I will te!l you why Ihave conceived not merely this liking, but I may term it a special affection for Agnes Evelyn. You do not know how long I was acquainted with Hector before we were married: there are certain circum- stances of which you are ignorant, and concerning which there is no need that I should be explicit. Comichbooks:c 4