Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 179: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. —————————— ee —_ nearly nineteen years since but I need not allude to unpleasant occurrences - “There is no reason why they should so¢ be alluded to, Mr. Timperley,” said Lord Ormsby, in that deep-toned voice of his which seemed to pene- trate into the very profundities of the lawyer’s soul with an effect as if it were a knell awakening a remorse with all its concomitant terrors. ‘‘ Why not proceed openly and frankly and boldly to state that nearly nineteen years have elapsed since the devilish piece of villany contrived by my father-in-law Joshua Waldron, aided by a certain Thomas Timperley, proved the fertile source of a thousand calamities P” “ My lord! my lord!” said Timperley, with a half-frightened, half-deprecating manner, “ I hope your lordship will not use terms that are too harsh. Be pleased to remember that I was a mere clerk at the time—a servant to a master whose bread I ate—who paid me wages “ “ Do you mean to tell me,” interrupted Lord Ormsby, with a movement of disgust and aversion, ** that because he paid you a wage, he bought you, body and soul? But let that pass! I tell you at once, Mr. Timperley, that I am going to take no step which may unnecessarily compromise you. Not that for an instant I would have you sup- pose it is through friendship towards yourself I am chary of your reputation. Nothing of the | sort! But there is the reputation of others that I would fain screen to the utmost of my power. I will not suffer the grave to be ransacked, that the memory of my father in-law may be disinterred, so to speak—or that the name of my wretched and long-perished wife Honoria may likewise be covered with obloquy. Jor have I not a daughter living x > “ Yes, yes, my lord * a daughter as amiable as she is beautiful “Rest assured,” interrupted Ormsby, with that | cynical bitterness which was habitual to him, “I should not take the guarantee of her, character from your lips!—no, not even the character of my own daughter! I believe in nothing from hearsay; neither do I believe in anything from outward appearances only. In a word, | ei !” ejaculated Timperley— | 1 nothing but that which I ascertain for myself— which I see with my own eyes—or know of my own knowledge—or ascertain through agents of my Own appointing, and in whose trustworthiness | Ican place reliance, Ah! you may stare at me, Mr. Timperley !—but did not you yourself just now admit that experience must huve taught me many rude lessons P” “ Yes, yes, my lord! no doubt of it!” said the attorney. “You do well to assure yourself,” continued Ormesby, “ that the person whom you now see before youis a very different being indeed from him whom | you beheld fleeing away trom England nineteon | years ago! The Morton Evelyn of to-day is differ- ent indeed from the Morton Evelyn of that period ! The real Lord Ormsby of this date is very different | irom the false Lord Ormsby of the period to which we aro referring ! What did you think, Mr, Tim- perley when after having presented myself to you in Regent Street, the other day, the very next thing I said to you was this—‘ You have got all the documents which regard my case, and it were useless for you to deny it?” 171 “When you said that to me, my lord,” replied Timperley, “ I wondered how you could possibly kuow it. But I suppose you naturally concluded the documents were of far too great consequence to make away with P” Ormsby’s lips wreathed scornfully ; and he said, “ No—nothing of the sort! How was I to judge what estimate you might place upon the docu- mentsP How did I know but that Waldron himself might have destroyed them ere he com. mitted suicideP or how was I to know that you yourself had not destroyed them, so that thero might be naught to criminate you ?” “True, my lord!” said Timperley; and for a few moments he looked bewildered. ‘“ Then how was it that your lordship knew these papers were still in my possession ?” “You are already aware,” continued Ormsby, “how the baptismal certificate of my grandsire Andrew Evelyn came into my possession.” ‘Your lordship told me the other day,” replied Timperley, ‘The certificate had accidentally got inside a deed which I had given to my niece Cicely, that she might take it to your daughter Agnes—whence it might finally reach the hands of old Mr, Barrington fr “Yes: and did I not tell you,’ resumed Ormsby, “how that deed travelled out to the West Indies, and how by the dispensations of providence it was made to fall into my hands, so that when I opened it I beheld inside the cer- tificate,—the lawful eertificate which was to put me in possession of my birthright! Then I said to myself, ‘If Ur Timperley is still hurping on the affair of the Ormsby esiates and thinking at worth while to collect the documents which re- gard that matter, he must have preserved the old ones |” “Ah! the calculation was made with infinite tact,” cried the attorney. “I really do not think that the same idea would have struck me! But your lordship was just now speaking of your daughter. May I inquire if you have yet seen Miss Evelyn ?” ** 1 have seen her: yes, | have seen her nearly every day since I arrived in London, which is upwards of six weeks ago; for I bad been in the metropuligs nearly a month before I determined upon presenting myself to you, Yes—I havo seen my daughter—but it has only been from a distance; and [I have not yet spoken to her—asor | Goes she know that [ am in existence !” * And I can assure you, my lord, that both my- selfand Mrs. Timperley have kopt the secret most religiously, according to your injunctions. But pray suffer me to ask wherefore your lordship is ‘thus delaying that which ought to prove a joy and a delight “Think you that it would have been a joy and a delight,” interrupted Ormsby, sternly, “ to go and claim, recognise, and acknowledge a daughter without being previously confident that she was worthy of such acknowledgment? Did I not learn how her cousin Floribel Lister fled from her »” home “ Ab, well, my lord,” said Mr. Timporley ; “I seo that your wisdom and prudence and caution are very great! But might 1 be permitted to inyguire wherefore, after arriving in Haogland, you sulfered an entire month to elapse ere you deignued to oO MiGIoOo (©) S co 5}