Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 184: what you’re looking at

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

—_———- 176 »_——_—————_ — AGNES; OF, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, ber @ source of indescribable happiness! Now, then, Mr. Hargrave,” exclaimed the ingenuous and warm-hearted girl, “ you see that I full well recol- lect everything you told my father and me on that Jay when you introduced yourself to us after Agnes had taken her departure.” “And now, my dear Corinna, you are pre- pared to learn that I am fully satisfied with all the reports you have made to me?” ‘* How is it possibie you could be otherwise P” ejaculated Corinna enthusiastically. “No: it is impossible!”—and it was with almost an equal degree of enthusiasm that these words were spoken. “ But tell me, Corinna— have you the slightest suspicion of what I am about to say to youP Is there in your mind a presentiment 43 “ Ah!” said Corinna, gazing earnestly up into her companion’s countenance: “there have indeed been moments when I have suspected! Yes— perhaps mow more than ever! Qh, heavens! if it were 80 : “ What—what is it that you suspect, my dear girl? what is it that you think ?”—and it was in a voice full of emotion that the questions were pat. “Ob! am I right in calling you Mr. Har- grave?” asked Corinna: “ought I not rather to call you by some other name? For I think— Oh! I suspect I scarcely dare speak it f ‘““Yes, yes — speak your thoughts, my dear girl! speak your thoughts freely! By so doing you may spare me the excitement of a studiec revelation!” “Oh then, if I must speak my thoughts,” cried Corinne, “I should say that you are xot Mr. Har- grave, the friend of the deceased Mr. Morton Evelyn—but that Mr. Morton Evelyn himself lives !—and though it seems as if I were thinking of the wild and the impossible, yet I should say that vou are that same Morton Evelyn !—yes, you are the father of Agnes!” Lord Ormsby took Corinna’s hand; and press- ing it in his own, he said, “ My dear girl, for the goodness of heart which you have shown from the very first instant of my acquaintance with you, I wish you all possible happiness. Nay, more! I will do all I can to promote it! You have told me all your little secrets; and heaven grant that you may yet enjoy long years of bliss with the young French gentleman who has won your heart ! And it is as a kinsman that I thus spéak to you, Corinna!” “Ab, then,” she ejaculated, “ my suspicion is correct—and you are Mr. Morton Evelyn!” “Yes—I am he,” replied Ormsby; “and I am the father of Agnes! And this day—indeed within the hour that is passing—shall I strain her in my arms!” Tears of joy streamed down Corinna’s cheeks ; and she clung to Lord Ormsby’s arm for support, for she was ready to sink, overpowered by the emo- tions that were excited within her. And then for the next quarter of an hour there wasa deeply serious discourse between the nobleman and Co- rinna: he revealed many things to her knowledge, and he gave her instructions how she was pre- sently to proceed in a task of the most delicate mature which he entrusted to her. They sepa- rated; and while Lord Ormsby roamed about for a while in the neighbourhood, the scene whieh we are on the point of relating occurred within the walls of Sidney Villa. Corinna returned to the garden, and took her little brother and sister indoors. Composing her countenance as well as she was able, she entered the parlour where Agnes was seated. There was always a smile and a kind word from Miss Evelyn for Corinna; and the Neapolitan girl, taking the hand of her benefactress, exclaimed with enthusiasm, “ Oh, my dear Agnes! how sweet it is to receive bounties from an angel such as you !” “My dear Corinna,” she answered, “ you must not address me in such language as this. I have often and often told you that you are not to con- sider yourself under such very great obligations to me; for at the outset I was only performing a Christian duty—and then I conceived a great liking for you ms “T know it, dear Agnes!” interrupted Corinna, bending down and kissing our beauteous heroine’s cheek. “But perhaps it is not after all so very, very astonishing that there should be this strong feeling between us; for there is a certain degree of kinship-——” “What méan you, my dear Corinna?” asked Agnes. “ Kinship did you say ?” Yes :” and now our heroine felt the two hands which retained her own, trembling nervously. “It is true, dear Agnes! You have heard me say that my mother was an Englishwoman. She belonged to the Morton family—that family which had intermarried with the Evelyns; and—and— dear Agnes!” added Corinna, diffidently and tremu- lously, “my poor mother was first cousin ito your father!” “Ts this possible ?” exclaimed Agnes, full of wonderment and delight. “How do you know that itissoP But, Ab! Iam rejoiced, dear Co- rinna, to find a relative in one whom I already loved! Alas, my poor father, who has so long been dead * ‘Say not so, dear Agnes!” interjected Corinna. “Long lost to you, no doubt ;—but not dead !” “ Corinna!” ejaculated our heroine, starting up, full of neryous trepidation, from her seat, “ there is something more in all this than I can anticipate! What do you meanP Tell me, my dear friend !— keep me not in suapense, I conjure you *” “ Have you never thought, dear Agnes, that it is possible your father might be alive?” asked Corinna. “ Yes—possible ! just possible! barely possible !” rejoined Agnes, with feverish excitement: and then she instantaneously added in a mournful tone, ‘ But by no means probable!” “And why not probable, Agnes?” inquired Corinna. ‘* Good heavens! if you know something,” cried our heroine, “speak! speak! And nowI again think you do! Oh, yes! it again strikes me that there is something significant in your words and in your looks! Tell me, Corinna e * Pray do not excite yourself, dear Agnes!” ine terrupted the Neapolitan girl. “I was only say- ing that such strange things take place in this world such, for instance, as the discovery that there is a certain bond of kinship between your- self and me ! ad “ L\OOLK com --