Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 342: what you’re looking at

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— - —— — oa —— ee ee ee ee A —_— 834 AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. oa never recovee any money upon it—while on the | deed!” cried Mr. Timperley, who was shaking and other hand it serves in some way or another | quivering as if smitten with the palsy. “Here! | to detain that poor old man in prison.” take it, my dear girl—tako it! But pray keep | “And think you not, my dear girl,” cried Mr. | silent in respect to the secret which you have this | Timperley, “ that I find it to my account to pursue | day learnt relative to the Evelyn affairs!” ~ this policy ?” ‘Fear nothing,” replied Mrs. Hardress; “ you “T have no doubt you are paid from some quar- | know very well that I should not travel out of my ter or another,” rejoined Cicely; “but all this is | way to injure you, nor to do aught that might en- a very dangerous game which you are playing. | danger your reputation.” Believe me, my dear uncle % Cicely then took her leave of her uncle, and “Enough, Cicely! I understand my own busi- hastened forth to her carriage, concealing beneath ness best,” ejaculated the lawyer. “I will not be her rich Cashmere shawl the'deed which Mr. Tim- dictated to—I will not be coerced ay _perley with nervous hand had hastily enveloped in “Excuse me, my dear uncle,” said Cicely, still a sheet of paper ere be consigned it into her pos- with a smiling countenance, and yet with firmness | session. But as the door closed upon that indi- of tone; “ but you will have the kindness to give | vidual, be threw himself back in bis seat, and me up that deed, of which this is a description:” | pressed his hands to his throbbing brows, mur- —and she produced the slip of paper which she muring, “She-devil that she is!—maledictions had received from our heroine. | upon the day which placed me in her power!” “Cicely, you are mad!” exclaimed the lawyer; A few minutes afterwards Mr. Timperley en- “coming to dictate to me in such a fashion! | deavoured to’ apply himself to whatsoever busi- What earthly interest have you ? ness next demanded his attention: but he found “TI wish to oblige Miss Evelyn—who in her | that he could not settle his mind to such a degree. turn is anxious to oblige Miss Barrington. Now, | His thoughts were agitated—hbis nerves were un- my dear uncle, without another syllable of parley,” | strung: he felt the necessity of fresh air. He continued Mors. Hardress, “give me up that deed. | accordingly locked up his own private room, leay- It is useless to hesitate: give it me, I say !” ‘ing all the deeds and documents lying as they “And if I refuse, Cicely?” said the lawyer,| were upon the table; and he sallied forth to looking anxiously and deprecatingly in her coun- | woo the icy breeze to his feverishly throbbing tenance, brows. She bent forward—gazed steadfastly upon him — —and said in a low decisive tone, “‘ You dare not refuse !” CHAPTER LVI. Mr. Timperley’s pale face now became abso- lutely ghastly: his ashy lips quivered as if he THE QUADROON WIFE. were about to say something; but the next in- stant he bit them as if to still their agitation, and | Tyr Hon. Mrs. Hardress, on re-entering her car= perhaps to keep back the angry words that were | riage, ordered it to drive to Sidney Villa at St. ready to burst forth. He rose from his seat: he | John’s Wood. She had a splendid pair of horses was about to turn towards a large japan-box bear- | belonging to her equipage: the distance was soon ing the name of “ BARRINGTON” painted upon it, | accomplished—and it was about five o’clock ag when suddenly bethinking himself of something, | Cicely reached Miss Evelyn’s abode. he muttered, “Ah! I recollect! I was looking “JT have succeeded according to my promise,” over the deed just now it is here somewhere | she said, the moment she entered the drawing- amongst these papers.” room io which Rachel conducted her. “ Here, my But Mr. Timperley was so nervous and agi- | dear Agnes, is the deed you require!—and now tated, and his hands trembled to such a degree, | let me hope there will be no barrier to the eman- that instead of singling out the particular deed | cipation-of poor old Mr. Barrington ?” he required from amidst the number of documents “Ob, Cicely!” exclaimed Agnes, “this is in- upon his desk, he only seemed as if he were ren- | deed most kind of you! You know not what dering the confusion worse confounded. He | happiness your generosity will have the effect of jumbled and tumbled them all together—he ap- instilling into the soul of poor Winifred! Bat peared as if he had lost his head: the last words | tell me, did you experience much difficulty with which Cicely had spoken seemed to have filled his Mr. Timperley " soul with dismay. “Yes, Agnes—the work was not accomplished “ My dear uncle,” said Cicely, “ you will put all without some little degree of entreaty and per- your papers into the most inextricable confusion! | suasion. However, there is the document ;—and Look—is not this the one which I require? It | now the only return I ask for the little service I seems to bear an endorsement corresponding with | have thus rendered, is that through Winifred’s in- the words written on that little slip of paper?” tervention in respect to her grandsire’s affairs, the “Yes, yes —it is the deed you require,” an-| name of Mr. Timperley may be mentioned with swered the lawyer, in a tremulous voice. “Take | as little acerbity as possible: for remember, Agnes, it, Cicely—take it. But how often do you mean he is my uncle—and unfortunately in this world to use this power ——” the evil repute of an individual redounds more or “Do not be afraid that I shall play the tyrant | less on the heads of all his relatives and con- towards you,” interrupted Cicely. “In the pre- | nexions.” sent instance I am obliging my friend Agnes| “I understand,” said Agnes; “and rest assured, Evelyn; and I am enabling you, uncle, to show a| my dear Cicely, that from your generous conduct fayour unto Winifred Barrington.” no unpleasant effects shall redound upon your own “Well, well, Cicely—teke the deed! take the! head!” rr ee + as - ‘ cComicbooks.com