Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 189: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, done for me. I was coldly received. ‘1 might have remained in their service; but the moment I had got their money [ had left them. For years they had heard nothing of me: they didnot know what I might have been doing in the interval. They would therefore rather not renew the connexion.’ Such was the language that was held towards me. I went elsewhere, soliciting employment; for it was actually the means of subsistence that I now needed. And I found employment,—mean and poor it is true, but still productive of sufficient to give me my bread. Again, after the lapse of two or three years, I realized a sum of money :—again I left New York, and bent my restless steps through the Union. But this time I gaveno alms and suffered myself to be moved by no tale of dis- tress. I became completely cynical. After a while I arrived asecond time at New Orleans. The cholera was again raging there; and I can scarcely tell what morbid feeling it was that in- duced me to penetrate into that city of desolation. Perhaps it was to fling a cartel at Death himself! But no matter. Thither I went: and I beheld an opportunity of turning to advantage the little money which remained to me; for Death broke up eome of the oldest and grandest establishments— and the same cause which filled the cemeteries with corpses, glutted the markets with goods. Well, to be brief, I made some money; and after a while I went and settled in Jamaica. Many long years had then passed since I left England Oh! so many years that I scarcely dared look back upon them !—and if ever there were a + earn- ing in my heart to institute inquiries relative to one who might possibly be alive in my native land —I allude to yourself, dear Agnes '—there wasan- other feeling, sternly morbid, cynical, and unna- tural, which spoke as it were with a loud voice in my soul, proclaiming the word No! And thus time passed on, and circumstances threw me in the way of Gustavus Barrington. Ob! conceive, my dear Agnes, how strongly a certain chord was touched in my heart when Gustavus, in speaking of his uncle’s affairs, chanced to mention the name of Timperley! A thousand memories of the past were conjured up; and knowing Timperley to bea villain, I resolved to take some measures to put old Mr. Barrington on his guard against him. In this I succeeded. Well, Gustavus went to Eng- land; and then he returned to Jamaica again. After a while my acquaintance was renewed with him; and then it was that providence made him the instrument of placing in my hands a document which showed me at once that after all I was no impostor, but that the title and the revenues of the Evelyns of Ormsby were indeed all legally mine own, Ob, them what a revulsion of feeling took place within me!” “‘T can well understand it, dearest father!” ex- claimed Agnes, now embracing him with renewed sensations of joy; for the affectionate girl had been all along identifying herself with her sire in every- thing he had undergone, felt; and suffered. “ Yes,” continued Ormsby, “everything now suddenly appeared to me under a different aspect. The whole world bad abruptly changed its hues, as if it were a kaleidoscope that I was surveying. Migkt there not be yet a something worth living 182 away to England I sped, the bearer of an ims portant document which was to accomplish old Mr. Barrington’s release. I called upon Winifred : she mentioned your name—the name of Miss Evelyn! Good heavens! what sensations took possession of me! I cannot explain what my feelings were when I inquired the Christian name of that Miss Evelyn to whom she had just alluded. It was Agnes! Ab, then it was my own daughter! —there could be no doubt of it! I learnt where you lived; and that very same afternoon I made a thousand inquiries concerning you in this neigh- bourhood. But enough on that point for the pre- sent! Other inquiries I instituted in respect to the past: I found that no legal proceedings had ever been taken against me by the Government— that all which concerned me at the time when [ fled from England, was more or less enveloped in mystery—and that as so little was known in refer- ence to the real motives which had induced me to flee, my claims might now be prosecuted without much chance of reviving scandal or evil reports, and without the danger of throwing opprobrium on the memories of the dead. And now, Agnes,” added Lord Ormsby, “I think that I have nothing more to say,—unless it be to tell you that for the present I am shrouding all my proceedings in secrecy, because I wish not to be known to tho world at large until the formal recognition of my claims shall place me at once upon that social pin- nacle which I must henceforth occupy.” “And now, dearest father,” said Agnes, “ that you have told me of all you have gone through and of all you have suffered, promise me—Oh! promise me, that the subject shall be revived no more, and that the unpleasant task being accom- plished, it shall not again enter amongst the topics of our discourse !” ‘Rest assured, Agnes,” answered Lord Ormsby, that E shall be only too glad to bury the past in oblivion, while enjoying the happiness of the pre- sent. Alas, that your cousin Floribel should not be here !” “Ob, poor Floribel!” murmured Agnes, with tears in her eyes. “Think not too harshly of her! I have every reason to suppose that she is completely penitent—that she is dwelling in some seclusion—and that she is unflinchingly pursuing the path of virtue into which she has returned. But, my dear father,” said Agnes, as a sudden idea seemed to strike her, and while a blush crossed her beauteous countenance—yet it was with the most ingenuous frankness that her large blue eyes were turned upon her sire, as she went on to say, “ You have evidently made many, many inquiries con- cerning all in whom you were in any way in- terested. Has it come to your knowledge that I have accepted the attentions of a young gentlo- man = “ Yes—Mr. De Vere,” responded Lord Ormsby. “Corinna told me this much. Ah! believe me, dearest Agnes, Corinna is a generous-hearted girl —truthful in character and sincere in disposition ! She loves you . “And you know that I love her well in return,” replied Agnes, ‘“‘ But may I hope, dearest father, that you are not in any way dissatisfied at the en- gagement into which [ have entered with Charles — —<— eee % for? Perhaps you, my child, still existed! It! De Vere?” was thus that I thought within myself. Then * You love him, my dear child,” said Lord CONIC DOOKSacOnn