Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 375: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. effected its object—we will not speak harshly of ; the perished one.” ‘No —’*twere useless!” responded Gustavus. ‘But listen to the sequel. Exactly two months back I received your letter. It was your second letter, Winifred; for the former one—the one whereof you spoke in that second communication —had been intercepted; yes, intercepted by the guilty Emily—and I never received it!” “ Alas, poor Gustavus !’’ said Winifred compas- sionately. “And thus it was not until you re- ceived that second letter bs “Not till then,” added the young man, “ that I knew the precious document had not been for- warded to my grandsire according to promise. I was maddened with grief and rage. I flew to search in Emily’s drawers and boxes—I found the document. Ah! I should observe that Mr. Har- grave was with me at the time. He offered to bring the deed to England; and I thankfully ac- cepted the service at his hands; for at that mo- rent I was very far from suspecting or foreseeing that I myself was on the point of leaving the shores of Jamaica. Mr. Hargrave bade me fare- well:—we separated. Within that same hour I met my wife: it was upon the cliffs towering high above the sea, which lay at the foot of the escarped precipice. Fatal spot for such an encounter, where one of the two thus meeting ‘was to overwhelm the other with the bitterest accusings, and that other was to be seized with a: the delirium arising from flagrant exposure and a consciousness of damning guilt !” “Good heavens!” said Winifred, starting up in horror from her chair: but instantaneously reseat- ing herself, as she was struck by the remembrance that the least imprudence on her part would betray to her cousin the secret that she was in a way to become a mother, she added, “ And thus it was in a moment of frenzy that the unfortunate Emily precipitated herself eC “Yes—it was so,’ rejoined Gustavus. “ No eye beheld the deed save mine and the all-seeing gaze of heaven! I rushed away in madness from the spot: I dared not return to my home—lI felt that I might be accused as a murderer and pun- ished as one!” “Ah!” said Winifred, in a low voice, and clasp- ing her hands with an evident sense of strong ter- ror, as she flung a retrospective look over the recent circumstances of her own life; “ there are cases in which circumstantial evidence does indeed make the most terrible combinations for the overwhelm- ing of an innocent individual! But what did you then do, my unfortunate cousin ?” “T sped to Kingston. I knew that there was e packet to depart that very day, and in which Mr. Hargrave was likewise to leave Jamaica. But when I reached Kingston I found that the steam- wesse] was already gone. Fortunately that very evening there was another ship to leave; and I took my passage therein. I know from inquiry that I must have set foot in England only twenty- four hours later than Mr, Hargrave himeelf; and what you ere now said, bas confirmed the fact. I am here, Wivifred: I am here once more,—free! released from that horrible thraldom which arose from a combination of circumstances, producing an infatuation on which I now look back with astonishment !” HOT * Bnough, Gustavus!” said Winifred; “you have told me your tale—and it is a shocking one. Forgive me, my dear cousin, if for a moment misled by your wild words and affrighted by your still wilder looks, I misjudged you so cruelly!” Oh, IE forgive you, Winifred!” exclaimed Gus- tavus enthusiastically: “for of how much have you not forgiven me!” “ And now come,” said the young lady, “and be received in the arms of your grandsire. Or rather go you alone to him—leave me here for the present " ' *T cannot go yet to him, Winifred —neither ean I yet leave you!” exclaimed Gustavus. ‘It is for you first of all to set my mind at rest—to tranquillize me by the assurance that all the past is forgiven, and that it may possibly be forgotten! —my perfidy towards you » * Everything is forgiven, Gustavus,’ answered his cousin seriously, “ With that assurance must you be contented. And now go and seek your grandsire.” “Not so, Winifred! You must tell me yet more than you have hitherto said! It is not when only two months a widower, I would be so indeli- eate as to propose that I may speedily conduct you to the altar a “Gustavus!” almost shricked forth Winifred: and her small beautifully white hand made a sudden movement towards the bosom of her dress. “Oh! is it possible that I have become an ob- ject of loathing and abhorrence unto you?” he cried, starting up from his seat. ‘* Ah! tell me this, Winifred—and it will be the crowning of all my miseries! Tell me this—and it will be to de- prive me of the last gleam of hope that can pos- sibly smile upon my existence! Qh, tell me this, I repeat—and full soon will I imitate the example of my wretched Emily, by putting a period to my still more wretched life !” * Gustavus,’ said Winifred, sow seeing the ne- cessity of tranquillizing her own emotions that she might, if possible, calm and soothe down those of her cousin, “ we have both seen sufficient calamity in this world to teach us lessons which few persons of our age are accustomed to learn. You must exercise the power of self-control—you must in- dulge in no dreams that cannot be realized, and grasp at no shadows that will only delude you!” “Do you mean me to understand, Winifred,” asked Gustavus, in a low trembling voice, “ that everything is at an end between us?” Winifred did not immediately answer him. She looked at him steadily, as a person measures with the eye some one at whom a deadly weapon is about to be cast. But at length she said, “‘ Every- thing, Gustavus, of the nature to which you allude, is at an end between us.” The young man gave a sudden start, as if he were moved by desperation’s self: then he looked strangely upon Winifred—and he said, “ You no longer love me!” “T love you as a cousin—I love you as a brother,” she responded, firmly yet lowly ; “and as a relation shall I ever love you. Beyond that, Gustavus as “ Beyond that, Winifred P’ — and he trembled visibly, while his countenance was deadly pale and his ashy lips quivered. ; “ Beyond that there is nothing,” she rejoined. tee om ee conmicloooks.c eee ee Oe me Olin