Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 186: what you’re looking at

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

“The very same,” answered Corinna. “ You noticed him particularly the other day, you know uy AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND FLEASURE, —spotless in character as she was chaste in the very name which she bore! And that name of Agnes,—Oh, with what emotion was it breathed “Good heavens, my dear cousin!” cried Agnes, ; from the father’s lips!—and how he wept and “is your brain wandering? You actually frighten | sobbed with all the varied fectings which this me! I[ do not know Mr. Hargrave ! I only | meeting was but too weli calculated to excite ! heard Winifred speak of him! You know Wini-! And on her side, what emotions were experienced fred Mrs. Roderick Dalham ? I think I have introduced you to her?” “Yes,” said Corinna. “ But do you not recol- lect the tall gentleman in black rr “ Whom we saw io the Regent’s Park ?” cried Agnes. “Yes! I remember him well!” “And that was Mr. Hargrave,” rejoined Co- rinna. “ You knew itP and you did not say so? there is a strange mystery in all this!” “ Very strange, my dear Agnes; for his name is not No,” said Corinna, interrupting herself, and proceeding cautiously and slowly,—‘ his name is not Mr. Hargrave after all . “Then who is he ?” asked Agnes, turning very paleand trembling. ‘ I see, my dear cousin, that all you have been saying is to prepare me for some startling revelation! Andthen, the way that you have introduced the name of Mr. Hargrave— the next moment telling me that it 1s not his name! And, Oh!” cried Agnes, her feolings now being worked up to the extremest verge of tension, “‘ who could have told you that yoa were a rela- tion of mine, ucless it were But heevens ! Corinna! tell me, I beseech you fe ““ Ob, prepare yourself, dearest Agnes! prepare yourself,” said the Neapolitan girl entreatingly, for a revelation so wild and wonderful —iuvolving something that is but one step below the super- natural—as if the dead had come to life and the long-lost were found !” A cry burst from the lips of Agnes, and she fainted in Coriuna’s arms. The young lady rang the bell: Rachel hastened to answer the sum- mons; and while restoratives were being adminis- tered, Corinna hastily whispered a few words of astounding revelation to the ears of the worthy woman, “T now go to fetch her father !” said Corinna, “Prepare her fully!—yes, prepare her fully to meet him!—the dead who is alive! the long- lost who is found! Prepare her to meet him, not as plain Mr. Morton Evelyn !—but prepare her to learn that she is the scion of aristocracy— that her father never was an impostor nor a pre- tender—but that he is Lord Ormsby !” Rachel promised to fulfil Corinna’s injunctions ; and the Neapolitan girl, hastening to slip on her bonnet and shawl, again glided through the garden, and passed out of the iron gate. At a little dis- tance she beheld Lord Ormsby, who was anxiously awaiting her return. She flew towards him ; and almost breatlless with her emotions, she gasped forth, “ You may come, my lord! you may come !” It would be impossible to convey an adequate Ob, idea of the scene which presently took place, when : the daughter was clasped in the father’s arms— when again and again, and yet again he strained her to his heart—when he imprinted a thousand kisses on her brow—or when he surveyed her with all a parent’s pride and admiration, knowing that she was as pure and virtuous as she was beautiful by the lovely daughter !—what bliss filled her soul ! and then what doubts took possession of her mind! —doubts lest this were only a mere dream, too bright and beautiful to last ! Rachel had retired; but Corinna was present. She would have withdrawn also, to leave the father and daughter together, but that Lord Ormsby himself bade her remain—for he was afraid lest the effect of this meeting might be almost more than Agnes could endure, after having already experienced one swoon. But for the lovely girl happiness had a powerful vitality ; and when all the doubts were banished from her mind—when she saw that it was no dream, but that it was alla reality—she abandoned herself as it were to the tide of bliss on which her soul was now floating,—that tide which was so clear! that soul which was so stainless! For, Oh! to know a father’s love, she who had never before known it! — to greet a father’s return when she had believed such return impossible !— this was &@ happiness as great as if the heart were re- joicing because the very grave itself had given up its dead! To be brief, the happiness which Agnes now experienced, was such that though we have endeavoured to heap some sentences together in order to describe it, ’tis nevertheless something which defies alZ description, and is not to be em- bodied in the shape of any language known to the human race ! For an hour sat that father and that daughter, with their young cousin—saying a thousand things — wishing to give explanations concerning the past, yet not knowing at what point to begin— and over and over again feeling their hearts too full for any further utterance! And again and again along and fervid embrace was taken; and the sire contemplated the daughter with looks of pride, admiration, and love—and the daughter contemplated the parent with a joy so heartlelt— an affection so deep—that all the beat sentiments of which the human soul is susceptible, seemed concentrated therein! Again and again must wo say that it was a scene which no power of language can describe, CHAPTER XXXI. AGNES AND HER PATHSE. At length the violence of the first gush of feeling subsided somewhat —the very strength of those highly wrought emotions expended itself ; and the father and daughter became enabled to converse in & more tranquillised and deliberate manner than they had as yet done. And now it was that Co- rinna Paoli seized an opportune moment to glide away from the apartment; for she naturally felt that this father and this daughter must have much to say to each other—an infinite variety of explana- tions to give, and an incalculable number of com- munications mutually to make, It was some tims micoook