Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 383: what you’re looking at

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

Neen ee ee ee ee -__ = i le ee ee ee ee ee ee AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. 375 lady, bursting into tears, and throwing her arms about the old man’s neck: “I have not disgraced you!—believe me that I have not disgraced you! That gentleman of whom we are speaking is the very soul of honour!” “Ah, well, well, Winnie—now I breathe freely again!’ said the old man. “Give me my glass, dear child. There!—that’s right! Now put it down again. Ha! the wine’s good! Come and tell me all the rest that you have tosay. The gentleman is the very soul of honour? Well, Pm glad of that; for after being twenty-six years in prison, and having a lawsuit that has lasted thirty-one, a person is not very likely to en- tertain an over good opinion of the world. How- ever, this gentleman you say But what’s his name, Winnie ?” “His name? Oh, I will tell you in a mo- ment!” and she spoke quickly. ‘‘ Now, my dear grandfather, there was a cheat which I put upon you—it wasa very innocent one—it was at tbe time when you thought I was earning so much by my needle — whereas, though I worked inces- santly, I could only earn as many pence as you fancied I was obtaining shillings.” “ Well, Winifred — well?’ —and again were there anxiety and uneasiness upon the old man’s countenance. “It was this gentleman who supplied a weekly sum which gave you comforts—which saved you, dear grandfather, from many a cruel strait and ignoble shift! Ina word, I know not what really would have become of us without the succour of that generous man !” “Tudeed ! is it so, Winnie?” cried Barrington. “ And Ob, my darling girl! you can look me thus in the face and declare that you have accepted all these bounties for myself and for you, without— without any sacrifice of—of—your own good prin- ciples $s “ Grandfather,” interrupted Winifred, solemnly, “it was the bread of the noblest generosity which you have eaten—and not the bread of your grand- child’s shame, No!—as I have a soul to be saved, I have experienced only the most chival- rous magnanimity on the part of that gentle- man A “Come to my arms, Winifred!” cried the old man, again whimpering and snivelling with min- gled joy, and gratitude, and nervousness: “let me embrace you! You know not how immense is the relief my soul now feels, and how light is my heart! But proceed, Winnie! Ah, you have still forgotten to tell me the name “Wait till I reveal to you something more,” interrupted the granddaughter. “ But first tell me what think you of any person who might save my life ?” “Save your life, Winifred? This is a strange question! But of course I should love such a person as the dearest of friends.” “ Ah!—and suppose that it was not by mere accident and all in a moment that the great boon was conferred,—for instance, it was not as if I fell into a river and the first passer-by rushed to my assistance,— yet you would love the person who might do this, though almost every one would perform such an act if an opportunity presented itself? But suppose that I was in some sore trouble—that I and death were looking each other ia the face— and that the last glimmerings of hope —— were yielding to the darkness of despair,—suppose I say that in such a case, some person resolved to save me—that he devoted himself to his task— that he boldly grappled with sore obstacles and in silent perseverance undermined others,—sup- pose that he pursued bis object with a zeal, a tenacity of purpose, and a calm dauntlessness, which being blended with a rare intelligence, led on to the achievement of suecess? Now, what would you say in reference to such conduct as this? and what would you think of such a per- son ?” “You are almost bewildering me again, Win- nie,” said the old man; “ but still f think I com- prehend your meaning; and I therefore say that the conduct would be most magnanimous and the person himself most admirable.” “True, dear grandfather! you could not ex- press yourself ia more appropriate terms! Well, then, such was the conduct of the gentleman to whom we are alluding: and now you will admit that as a man he is most admirable ?” “No question of it! “But still, Winifred,” said the grandfather, “I cannot see how all this could relate to you—— unless it were in the case you know what I mean——we passed the spot to- day ” “I¢ was in that very ease,’ replied Winifred. “He of whom I speak was firmly convinced of my innocence, at a time when, alas! so few were convinced of it! He was resolved to save me— he saw but one course to be adopted—he got him- self introduced upon the jury—it was he who turned the scales entirely in my favour—it is to him that I owe my life!” Old Barrington listened as if i¢ were to some romance of deep awe-inspiring interest: but at length he exclaimed, “Ob, Winifred, if this is all a reality it is not a man of whom you are speak- ing, but it is a being of a preterhuman order! Teil me, darling Winnie—is this all so ?” “T call heaven to witness,’ she emphatically said, “that I am telling the truth, and naught but the truth! Yes, grandfather—if it were not for that man your poor Winnie would have been separated from you for ever—she would have suf- fered an ignominious death—she would now be lying in the cold grave! And you, dear grand- father ——’”’ ‘* My heart would be broken,” he faltered forth, in a voice that was tremulous with sobs. “ Dear, dear Winnie! what strange things you have been telling! Why did you never let me know all this before ?” “Ob, my dear grandfather,” she responded, “so long as you had your own affairs to trouble and harrass you, it was not likely that I should perplex or bewilder you with matters pertaining ebiefly unto myself.” “Would that the gentleman would come,” cried the old man, “that I might embrace him; for I now look upon him asa benefactor and a saviour, But Ah! when I bethink me, why did you not speak to him to-day ?” “T wished you to form his acquaintance first, so that you might judge of him for yourself. In- deed, it was a very fortunate accident which threw us in his way; for I had previously made up my mind to reveal all these secrets to you this even- ing. But it is better that you should have first seen him, I repeat; for you learnt to like bim Comiclooolks Olin