Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 240: what you’re looking at

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

232 AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. in the cushion; and she there stifled sobs—aye, conjecture for what he wasso arrested, Mrs, Hard- and even cries that if not thus subdued, would| ress?” have been heard throughout the building. Never ““My God!” she said, becoming as pale as was woman so mortified! nover was a rebuff so| death: “ has that been brought to light at last ?” deeply, keenly, poignantly felt! But all of a sudden she started up—she dashed away her tears —and she murmured to herself, “‘ I must be re- venged !—yes, by some meansI must be revenged “'Yes—it is so,” responded Lord Ormsby ; “ and I do not hesitate to tell you, Mrs. Hardress, that I have taken some share in those proceedings | which have, resulted in bringing your uncle to upon that young profligate who keeps all his, justice !” sensual love for the quadroon !” “You, sir? And why you, sir?’ demanded Five or six days passed, during which interval | Cicely, with a sudden sinister flashing of her eyes. Cicely beheld nothing more of Charles De Vere; | “ Why should you have done this ?” and Hector had left Florence upon some clue, real “ Because,” replied Ormsby, “it was a duty or imaginary, which he had obtained to the desti- | that I owed to society—and a duty likewise which nation taken by Floribel Lister when she quitted ; was owed to that poor Winifred whom your the Tuscan capital. One day—to be particular as ; wretched uncle suffered to be arrested, tried—aye, to date, it was on the 22nd of November—Cicely | and would have suffered likewise to be hanged for was seated alone in the apartment where her terrible humiliation had taken place, when a domestic entered announcing that a gentleman from Emgland desired an interview with her. “A gentleman from England?’ ejaculated Cicely. “Who can he be? Let him be shown up.” In a few minutes a tall distinguished-looking man—dressed in black, with piercing dark eyes, and hair that was turning grey, though he had a . remarkably fine set of teeth, and in other respects looked younger than those premature snows upon the head might seem to indicate—entered the apartment. Cicely rose to receive him; and he, at once recognising her by the portrait he had seen in London at the house of Ars. Maddox in the crime which he himself committed! And you too, Mrs. Hardress, have not played a very fine part towards poor Winifred; for you have long been conversant with the fact that your uncle was the true criminal—and yet you have never raised your voice to proclaim it !” “Tell me, Mr. Hargrave—tell me,” said Cicely, in an agitated manner, “ will any harm accrue to me?” “ You knew of a murder, Mrs. Hardress,” re- | plied Ormsby,—“ you knew who the murderer was—and you shielded him! It is almost like becoming an accessory after the fact 4 “He was my uncle, Mr. Hargrave !” exclaimed Cicely. “Yes: and say also,” rejoined the nobleman, Norton Street, said, “I know that I havo the | “ that he purchased your silence for thirty thousand honour of speaking to Mrs. Hervlress, me to announce myself as Mr. Hargrave,” “Ab, I have heard of you, Mr. Hargrave!” | that the law itself will meddle with you. ejaculated Cicely. ‘‘ You brouszht from Jamaica a certain document which had found its way thither, and which I in the first instance procured from my uncle Mr, Timperley. My friend Miss Evelyn told me how you arrived in England and gave the document to Winifred Barrington.” “IT have brought you a letter from Miss Evelyn,” said Lord Ormsby. “ Hero it is,” “Ah! a letter from my dear friend Agnes?” cried Cicely, breaking the seal. ‘‘ And it is dated the 14th instant. grave, that you are a very old friend of Agnes— deeply interested in her welfare—and as much attached to her as if you were her own father. Oh! no wonder! It is impossible not to ilove Agnes! And so I perceive also by this letter, that M. Marcellin and Signor Paoli have arrived in England “ Yes—upon the very same day on which that letter was written,” responded Lord Ormsby; and then it was with a considerable degree of anxiety that he watched Cicely’s countenance, for he knew what would next follow in the letter which she held in her hand. : “Good heavens!” she eried, “ what does Agnes mean? I am to prepare myself for a terrible Permit | pounds! |opinion upon your conduct; but I do not know Ab! it seems, then, Mr. Har- | The world, Mrs. Hardress, will form its The man was your uncle, as you say; and that con- sideration will have its weight—for it is natural to screen a relative. For my own part, Mrs. Hardress, I came to break to you the intelligence of this awful bursting of the storm above the head of your uncle: I have travelled day and night from England to be the bearer of the intelligence, so that it should be communicated delicately—and with due preparation,” he added, pointing to Agnes’ letter. “ Because [am not unomindful of your generous intervention in procuring the docu- ment from your uncle on behalf of poor old Mr, Barrington ——” Alas, Mr. Hargrave!” said Cicely, “it was in- deed my duty to do something for the Barrington family after having held my peace and kept the seal of silence on my lips when on the other hand it was my bounden duty to proclaim the innocence of Winifred! But good heavens! my uncle ar- rested on that terrible charge! And my poor aunt ?” “T know not how she has taken it,” replied Ormsby. “I left London on the evening of the | 14th, the day on which your uncle was arrested.” “And the chain of evidence?” inquired Cicely. “ Most providentially worked out!” answered revelation!—a revelation of something which oc-| Ormsby; “and by no means unconnected with curred on the very day on which she penned this| your visit, Mrs. Hardress, when you were still communication—the 14th instant! Ob, Mr. Har-| Miss Neale, to Mrs. Maddox in Norton Sireet to grave! what is it? what is it P” purchase Mrs. Chicklade’s letters.” “Your uncle Mr. Timperley,” replied Lord “Ah!” cried Cicely, turning pale. Ormsby, “was on that day arrested Prepare heavens! has any inadvertence on my part ——— yourself—nerve yourself——no doubt you can, “ By the account which I have heard, Mrs. *“ Good A lNOOLK LLL LLLBLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LL LT CL tii (©) 5}