Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 352: what you’re looking at

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

= 344 erer happen to get free, you won’t be ready to sbake hands in your joy with all the world—not even excepting Jack Ketch himeelf ?” ‘With all the world except two persons !” an- swered old Barrington emphatically; “and Jack Ketch is not one of those persons—and Mr. Tim- perley is not another,—though the former be the most loathsome of human creatures, and the latter as great a villain as ever walked on two legs, But still, on the day of obtaining my liberty, I would shake hands with even them! The two excep- tions that I make’’—and here old Barrington looked earnestly with his keen eyes upon the countenance of his companion Robus, while his angular features seemed to grow more peaked with malignant spite, like those of a vixenish woman while giving way to her ill temper,—“ the two exceptions are Sir John Dalham and Roderick Dalham.” “ Ah, well—we shall see,” said Mr. Robus, shrugging his shoulders, as much as to imply that he never put faith in vows that were strongly or rashly taken. * Yes—you will see!” exclaimed the old cap- tive. ‘‘ How many thousands and thousands of times have I taken this oath within myself!—how many hundreds of times have I even gone down upon my knees, and invoked heaven’s curses upon me if I ever deviated from that course of bitter burning enmity—of fierce unquenchable rancour— towards the hated Dalhams!” “ Well then, Mr. Barrington, I think you have done very wrong,” said Mr, Robus; “ for whenever ZI go down upon my knees—which I am sorry to fay is not very often—it is to ask for blessings on my own head, instead of curses on the heads of my enemies. I haven’t time for too much prayer —so I think of Number One first.” At this moment the poor prisoner who acted as Mr. Barrington’s servitor, came forward to an- nounce that the breakfast was served up; and the old captive accordingly proceeded to his morning’s meal. When it was over, he sat reading the newspaper for about an hour: then looking at his watch, and finding that it was eleven o'clock, he began to wonder that Winifred did not make her appearance. He returned into the court-yard to walk with Mr. Robus: but in about half-an-hour Winifred was descried hastening towards her grandfather, “My dearest girl—my sweetest Winnie,” ex- claimed the old man, “ you are unusually late 4g “Ts it possible, my dear grandfather, that Gus- tavus has not been? The turnkey assures me ” “ Gustavus P—No, Winnie!” cried Mr. Bar- rington in amazement. ““And the deed—the document —has it not been sent in to you?” asked Winifred, in breath. less suspense. “ Deed — document ? —nothing of the sort!” ejaculated Mr. Barrington. “ But you absolutely took frightened, Winnie Ms ‘‘ Frightened, frightened,” she said, gasping, and becoming very pale. ‘“ What can this mean? I waited and waited, thinking he was sure to come back to my lodgings ut ‘What do you mean, Winifred P” asked Mr, Barrington. “ Come, my child—tell me—I begin to be seriously alarmed m -——_—Ce ee eee AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. “What cam have happened? Oh why does he not come?” exclaimed Winifred vaguely: then suddenly recollecting that she was keeping her grandsire in a state of the most painful suspense, she hurriedly explained herself in the following manner :—“ Gustavus came to me just now—he has been in France witn his wife—they returned yesterday to London—he was anxious to see you —to bid you farewell, for he is going away to the West Indies H “Then why does he not come ?” asked old Mr. Barrington. “Ah! that is what I do not know—that is what is bewildering me” exclaimed Winifred, ** But there is stili something worse! The deed was obtained from Mr. Timperley—Miss Evelyn procured it through the medium of Mrs. Hard- ress—I gave it to Gustavus to bring to you—E thought that it would afford him pleasure < “Well, well, Winnie,’ said the old man: “ rest assured he will come presently! Perhaps he might have met some friend ce ‘Perhaps so!” said Winifred, clutching at tho hope. ‘“ Yes—perhaps he will come presently !” But hours passed away, and Gustavus came not. A dozen times did Winifred speed to her lodgings from the prison, and to the prison from her lodg- ings: but still no tidings of Gustayus—not a note! not a message !—and the deed—that precious deed, on which so much depended—it was not forth- coming! Winifred was bewildered what to think. If her cousin had fallen in with his wife, and the wife had displayed her domineering temper by insisting on his alienating himself from his rela- tives—still the packet might have been delivered either at her own lodgings or at the prison. But all conjecture was useless :—hour after hour passed—evening came—night set in—and still no Gustavus ! It was a couch of sleopless wretchedness which poor Winifred pressed that night; and when she arose in the morning, she felt as ill, as dejected, and as miserable as in those times when all was adver- sity and not the slightest ray of prosperity gleamed upon her. She repaired to the prison as svon ag the gates were open: Gustavus had not been. She went to Mr, Wardour, who accompanied her to the Messrs. Cartwright; and there was now a4 doubt whether Mr. Barrington could be released without the production of the lost deed, and whether an affidavit made by Mr. Timperley (even supposing him to be willing to make it) would suffice instead of the original deed itself. In short, fresh complications bad arisen; and the matter had to be inquired into. In respect to Gustavus —as Winifred laboured under the terrible appre- hension that some evil had befallen him, Mr. War- dour gave certain information to the police de- tectives, with a promise of a reward if the mystery were cleared up, Thus all was done which under existing circumstances could be accomplished: but Winifred’s mind remained a prey to the utmost suspense. Sbe communicated these now calamities to Agnes Evelyn, who in her turn reported the loss of the deed to the Hon. Mrs. Hardress; and Cicely undertook to induce her uncle Mr, Tim- perley to accomplish by affidavit, if required, that same object which the deed itself was calculated to have produced. But Mr. Wardour and the Messrs. Cartwright discovered that the matter / == Comicbooks - eS ee } ae —— en - —_—-~ —- =|. ——- i i me ————