Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 343: what you’re looking at

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

was again alone, she opened the envelope of the packet which had been left with her, in order to assure herself that if was the actual deed which Winifred required, and that no mistake had been committed. She saw by the endorsement that it was the very one; and she was about to envelope the document again in the white paper, when she perceived that something had fallen upon the carpet. This was a small slip ; and Agnes, picking it up, replaced it in the middle of the deed without doing more than glancing her eyes along the uppermost line of its contents; so that the only words which she happened to catch were these— “ Broomdale, Warwickshire.’ She had no undue curiosity: she was incapable of prying into the affairs of others; and thus she read not a single line of the deed itself beyond the endorsement ; while of this separate slip of paper to which we have alluded, she caught but these two eingle words of its contents, She wrapped the document and the slip in the envelope, and consigned the packet to a secure place, with the purpose of taking it to Winifred the very first thing in the morning. If Agnes had only possessed the slightest share of curiosity, sue would have been perhaps led to peruse a slip the contents of which intimately related to herself; and though she might not have comprehended how such a paper could have borne any reference to her own affairs, yet in consequence of falling in with the name of Evelyn, she might have been Jed to make inquiries—and she might then possibly have got upon a clue tending to farther developments. All this is however per- fectly hyputhetical, and is indeed a useless specu- lation, for the simple fact that Agnes did not read the paper at all—or at least her eye only accident- ally eaught the two words which we have recorded, and which seemed not to have any connexion, even the remotest, with herself or her own affairs. But, Oh! if Agnes had known what that slip of paper was—if she could only have conjectured how inti- mately it regarded her! For perbaps the 1eader has by this time begun to understand what it was that had happened. Mr. Timperley, in the con- fusion, hurry, and nervous agitation into which he was plunged when looking for the particular deed that his niece required, had accidentally taken up at the same time the certificate brought him in the morning by the old parish clerk of Broomdale, Warwickshire. Cicely bad not opened the packet in her own carriage; and,as the reader has just seen, Agnes thought that it was a paper belonging to the larger document itself. We should add that throughout the remainder of this day Mr. Timperley did not miss the certificate; for he went forth in an agitated state of mind from his office after his interview with his niece, and did neé enter it again until the following morning at» ten o'clock. But before this hour on that morning, the packet was consigned to the hands of Winifred Barrington. Agnes was determined to see it safe in the possession of the old captive’s grand- daughter; and she therefore left Sidney Villa as early as eight o’clock that morning, so that her generous aim should be fulfilled with the least possible delay. The cab which bore her set her down before nine o’clock at the door of Mrs, a Mg AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. a oo ee eee ee ' Cicely soon took her leave: and when Agnes $$ fen —ensenesenesinensyenenene nesses 333 Slater’s house in Aldersgate Street; for Winifred still resided there. Though possessed of riches, she had made but little change in her mode of living: indeed the only change being the renun- ciation of working with her needle for the sake of recompense, Agnes was soon shown up into Winifred’s neat little sitting-room; and the moment the usual complimentary greetings were exchanged, our amiable heroine laid upon the table a packet which she had carefully sealed and tied round with a piece of ribbon. “There, my dear Winifred,” she said; “is the document which I have succeeded in obtaining for you. You have to thank the Hon. Mrs. Hardress + “Ob! first of all, my dear Miss Evelyn, let me thank you!” exclaimed Winifred, her countenance beaming with the animation of joy. “Kind and excellent friend that you are! how can [ ever sufficiently demonstrate my gratitude? You have done a noble action, Miss Evelyn!—you have removed the last barrier which opposed the liberation of my aged grandsire! As for the Hon. Mrs. Hardress, I will write to her—I will thank her likewise !—for Oh! the favour which through the medium of you both I am now receiving, is indeed immense !” Agnes was well pleased to find that her friend Winifred was rendered so happy by the possession of the deed; and she took her leave, saying, “ I will not delay you another instant; for I know that your heart is now yearning to behold the accomplishment of your task and to welcome your grandsire forth into the fresh air of freedom. When he is released, Winifred, and you have a little time to spare, bring him to see me. You must both pass a.day with me at Sidney Villa; for it will render me happy to contemplate the joy and felicity which will be reserved for both of you.” Agnes departed; and Winifred, with joyously throbbing bosom, hastened to perform her toilet for going out, that she might repair to Messrs. Cartwright and Co., the legal fim in Chancery Lane, and place the deed in their possession. But while she was about to put on her bonnet, she heard a violent and impatient knock at the front door: the door was opened—and then she heard footsteps rushing up the staircase, as if the per- son thus coming were in frantic haste. But Ah! those footsteps good heavens! was it possible? did they not sound like steps which she had heard before some two or three months back? A sen- sation like that of terror seized upon her brain and upon her heart: she dropped her bonnet—the door was burst open—and her cousin Gustavus made his appearance. He was about to catch her in his arms; but she held herself back—not with an air of unkindness, but with a becoming maiden firmness,—at the same time giving him her hand, and saying ina collected manner, *‘ You are welcome, Gustavus.” Winifred had all in a moment become com- pletely the mistress over her actions as well as even over the expression of her countenance, how- ever painful to her feelings might have been the effort required for this purpose. There was no coldness in her manner: bet her demeanour was that of a young person possessing a proper femi- —_——- —- CoOMmicooolkks Om