Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 56: what you’re looking at

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rr er ee - 43 still wore an expression of calm resoluteness and fixed determination. The old woman therefore moved towards the door which Cicely opened for her; and the young lady having assured herself that the coast was still clear, afforded Mrs. Chick- lade egress from the house. A glance, flung forth from the front door, convinced Miss Neale like- wise that the Timperleys were not yet returning homeward through the square; and having .re- placed the key in the door of the private office, she stole back to the drawing-room, perfectly satisfied that Mrs. Chicklade’s visit remained unsuspected by the two servants who were in the house. When the Timperleys returned home from church, the lawyer discovered that he had left the entered that room—but came forth again, tolerably well satisfied that no one had penetrated, thither during his absence. Still he deemed it expedient to assure himself more completely of this fact ; and summoning the housemaid, he said, as if ina sort of indifferent manner, “‘ You didn’t happen to go, Mary, into my private room while I was away at church—to dust it—or anything of that kind ?” “Oh, no, sir!” at once replied the young woman. “Iam sure I did not know Whether it was unlocked or not: for your orders are so posi- tive that the inner. office is never to be touched only at such times when you give permission ve “ Well, well, Mary—all right!” said, Mr. Tim- perley. “Only I happened to. leave my, key behind—and there are 60 many valuable apclere tossing about—that I feared But the rest of Mr. Timperley’s Bes sa was lost in indistinct mutterings, as with the key ,in his pocket he ascended | the stairs to the drawing- room. “ “Cicely, my dear,” innaiea Mrs. Timperley, “how do you feel now P” » “ My headach is a little better,” replied Miss Neale: “ but I have never once quitted this sofa” —for on a\sofa she was half-reclining—“ all the while you have been at church.” ~Mr.--Timperley,,was rejoiced to hear this assurance from his,niece’s lips; for it saved him putting the question. whether she had by any accident had the curiosity to penetrate into his sanctum.» - “But you still look pale and ill, my dear girl, 7 said, Mrs, Timperley: “and you must take care of vourself.” “Oh, I shall be better.to-morrow, ,my dear aunt !” responded ‘Miss.Neale : and with a slight cough she concealed a sigh which she could not altogether repress. CHAPTER X. MR. TIMPERLEY. PouncToaLty at ten o'clock on the following morning, Mr. Timperley entered his private room, and sat down to look over the letters which he had previously just glanced at while seated at the breakfast-table. He had not been many minutes in his professional sanctuary, before there was a tep at the door communicating with the outer a key of his private office behind him. He hastily | | deep sympathy. a AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. office : and the clerk who entered announced Lord Mendlesham. The nobleman made his appearance: the clerk withdrew: and the lawyer rose to receive his patrician patron with a low bow. Lord Mendle- sham was a man of about five-and-forty years of age—tall—upright—and somewhat stoutly built, yet not inclining to corpulency, nor with any clumsy inelegance of figure. He had dark grey eyes, which were, exceedingly intelligent and ex- pressive—an aquiline countenance—and all the evidences of having been in his youth exceedingly handsome. . His ‘hair, which’ was,of,a dark brown, had only just begun to be mingled with grey: but it was much worn away from off the temples and from the front part of the crown—which partial baldness however, by giying height to the forehead, added to, thenoble.and intellectual expression of the countenance. His lordship, was well, yet plainly dressed; and the dust upon his boots indi- cated that he had walked from his own abode at the West End to the raed’ oe in Lincoln’s Inn Fields. . Having taken the so which the ‘clerk had placed for him, Lord Mendlesham motioned to Mr. Timperley to, resume his own chair: and he at once opened his business by saying, “I call te consult you on a very unpleasant affair.” , “Indeed, my, lord?; I am sorry,to hear it,” sald Mr. Timperley; though in his heart he was really glad—for the unpleasant affairs of his clients were lucrative ones,to, himself: _.We ‘shouldshoweyer:] here observe that Mr. Tim- perley, was not Lord -Mendlesham’s. regular legal adviser, but was merely honoured with some small portion. of the nobleman’s affairs. .. “Have you*heard no rumour, Mr. Timperley ?” inquired, Lord Mendlesham: “has nothing met your ears—nothing of a peculiar nature ?” ' “ Nothing, : my lord,”. replied, the attorney, “ which, can, in any, way afford me a clue to what is Dow passing in your lordship’s thoughts.” “Then I can tell.you, Mr. Timperley,” rejoined Mendlesham, “that it is a most unpleasant busi- ness, and one which has given me. the greatest annoyance ever since the rumour reached my ears on Saturday evening. Indeed, I should have come to. you yesterday, only that I fancied you legal gentlemen are fond of going out of town on the Sunday “No, my lord,” interjected Mr. Timperley. “I always make it a rule to attend a place of worship on the Sabbath——” “Well, well,’ interrupted Mendlesham, as a slight and scarcely. perceptible expression of in- credulous scorn for,an instant curled his haughty upper lip: “in any case, then, I did well not to disturb you. And now at length I may consult you. That wild boy of mine has been fighting a duel!” ‘ “What? the Hon. Mr. Hector perilling his precious life!’ exclaimed the lawyer, affecting 4 *‘T have not the pleasure of the Hon. Mr. Hector’s acquaintance—indeed I only just know him by sight: but still for your lord- ship’s sake I am deeply afflicted.” *T have not told you all,” exclaimed Lord Mendlesham. “Who do you think was bis antagonist? None other and here b@ fixed his eyes with a look of peculiar signif- » —— hi ae ie — ' . oS om 7 a ee me ~~ 2 )_ =~