Agnes: A Tale of the Streets — page 170: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. - 855 wine. Sit down, and let us resume our dis- course,” - “Let me seeP what were we talking about?” said the young man, as he and tho quadroon re- seated themselves, “You were tolling me how you would make the time pass away in my absence—how you would be constantly wita Roderick and Winifred—how you would fondle their child ” “Ah! and I was about to observe,” added Gus- tavus, “that when I hold that innocent little baby in my arms, I shall think to myself it was through your goodness, Emily, that both the infant and its parents are guaranteed against the ills of poverty.” “Ob! doubtless you will be very very fond of that child P”’ said the quadroon; but it was in a voice so strange that Gustavus started, and again his looks wero flung full of suspicion upon his wife. “Emily,” he exclaimed, “is it possible that thore is again anything wrong between usP My Goud! if I have been deceived ——”” “Ob, Gustavus!” exclaimed the quadroon, “you have indeed deceived yourself if you think that I could endure a separation of several long, long months!’ * “ Emily !”—and it was almost a start of affright that Gustavus gave, while stronger atill became the suspicion in his mind that there “was some- thing wrong. “Oh, how your looks are altered !” “Ah! Gustavus!” she cried, her eyes flashing lightnings more vivid than before, and her white teeth gleaming between hor lips; “do you fancy that all this is real and that I have been acting as I have felt?” “ Good God! what mean you P?—and Gustavus sank back in his chair with a sense of vague and awful dismay. “T mean that I would sooner die than separate from you!—that I could not endure it !—that the idca itself was death! I mean diso that never, never would I allow you to become the companion of Winifred again! Bydeaven, no!’—and it was almost with rage that the quadroon struck her clenched hand upon the table, “Emily, Emily! what have you done?” de- manded Gustavus, now smitten with a presenti- mont that something terrible was about to occur, or elsc about to be revealed to his ears, ‘* The fortuve which you made over to the Dalhams ” Pardon me, Gustavus—pardon me!” inter- rupted the quadroon; “but all my generosity was a mere hypocrisy! I wanted to eee you once more—to bring you unto me—to bave you again with me—that we might bo alone together !— —and I had recourse to that stratagem—I fore- saw that it would succeed—and it has suc- ceeded !” “By God, Emily!” exclaimed Gustavus, start- ing up from his chair, “I will not again be your dupe ! Yet what is thisthat I feel? This heat -=this fever of the blood——” @ “Pardon, pardon, Gustavus!” cried the qua- droon, once more addressing him in those words of passionate appeal: but now she threw herself upon her knees before him, clasping her hands as she repeated the words, “ Pardon! pardon!” ‘“‘ No!l—forgiveness is impossible!” cried Gus- tavus. “Your conduct——O (God! what do I feelP what is this that comes over me P”—and he staggered a pace or two. “Pardon me, Gustavus!” exclaimed the qua- droon, “It is my last crimo!—bué the poison is circling in your veins——and we shall die to- gether |” With a wild cry Barrington threw up both his arms in affright and despair; and then as he was about to rush towards the door to cry out for assistance, ho reeled and fell. In a moment the quadroon was at that door—she locked it-—drew out the key, and tossed it into tho fire. Gustavus’ senses had not however abandoned him: it was only a giddiness which had prostrated him. Another moment and his head was sup- ported on his wife’s lap: but he crawled away from her, exclaiming, though with painful and difficult utterance, “Avaunt, wretch! avaunt, murderess |” “O Gustavus,” she murmured, “if we could not live together, we must at least die together | Upon this I was resolved—and to accomplish this aim havo I been lJabouring! But, Ah! if when you came to me this evening you had asked me to remain in England—if with the language of re- viving love you had besought me not to go to Jamaica, all my purpose would have been altered, and we should not be perishing now! But you proved implacable upon that point. Two or three times I tried you—and I saw that your resolution was fixed. Then also was my own resolution con- firmed~and I said, ‘ Wo will die together !? When you retired for a moment tv wash your hands after dinner, I infused the deadly poison in the wine that had been brought up for the dessert !” Gustavus was now lying helpless and powerless, with bis head upon a footstool, gazing in half vacant, half wild horror and consternation at his wife, who was evidently much less under the in- fluence of the poison than he. He gave vent to 8 moan of despair, and feebly murmured, “ For God’s sake call for assiatance, Emily !—summon a surgeon! I will forgive you I swear by heaven I will forgive you if you do this!” “Tt is useloss, Gustavus! it is useless, my be- loved husband!” replied the quadroop, moving nearer towards him, and taking his hand, which he however had sufficient energy to snatch from her grasp. “The poison has no antidote!—or at all events its influence has gone too far !” “Wretch!’” muttered Gustavus: “ wretch { wretch !”—and his eyes, which had already begun to glaze, flamed with a sudden fierconess upon her. “ Ob, why upbraid me in our last moments?” she asked: “why not forgive meP Even thie is a proof of my love! I could not endure to be separated from you—and therefore I die with you! Ob, the love of one in whose veins rolls the blood of that torrid clime where I was born, is a wondrous thing—-and may become terrible!” ‘“‘Yerrible !—my God !” mogaed Gustavus. “ Oh, Emily! if there be yet a co for us both to live——”’ “There is none! there is none! Make your peace with heaven, Gustavus—and begin by for- giving me!” “Good God, is all this real? or is it a dream P” —and the wretched young man endeavoured to raise himeelf up; but finding that he could not, he again made an effort to crawl towards the door— and again he sank exhausted. § Tov die! to diel” inn COnnicbooelkks CO