Agnes: A Tale of the Streets — page 223: what you’re looking at

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

172 honour me with an intimation of your exist. ence ?” “Think you, Mr. Timperley,” asked the no- bloraan, with a strong cynical bitterness again in bi. aceents,—“ think you that I was guing t place myself at ali in your power, or throw mysell upoen your tender mercies P It is truc I had ob- tained possesaion of tho genuine document that wus wacted as a legal and legitimate substitute for the document which you and Waldron forged nineteen yeare ago. But then, how could f tell with any degree of accuracy how matters wero loft by my sudden flight from England at tho period to whigh wo havo been glancing back ? Prusceutipns might havo been instituted—war- rants might have been issued and nevor recalled in short, Mr. Timperley, it was only consistent with ordinary prudence that I should obtain the certitude of my own safety before taking a step that might have the slightest chance of placing me in your power.” “T am gorry, my lord,” said Timperley, with an obecquious bow, “that 1 should enjuy go little of your lordsbip’s confidence. Pardon me for adding, my lord, that if nineteen years have made a differ- ence in your lordship, they have done the same with me. Taw no longer the humble clerk, com- polled to obey the mandates of a master, oven though it be to bocome the acoomplice in a crime Iam rich, and consequently independent. Iam well oonneoled too. My niece, ag you may bo awiry, bas married the Hon. L{cctor Iardress ; said sho will be one day Lady Mendivsham. Thus you sec, my lord, my position offers guaran- sews “Well, Mx. Timperley,” intorrupted Ormsby, ‘ys ;baps Ll myself have come to tho sawe conclu. nlun: perhaps after having instituted sume in- ‘surriee, L considered that you miht be trusted up i a cortain point. Or else think you thut IL should have granted you a delay of three wecks to euablo you to get all those documents together, when if it had euited your purpose to destroy thom it would have only taken threo minutes to dv go P Bat still you‘ porhaps will not bo astonished to loarn that I am going to tako the business out of your hands,” ‘“Ludeed, my lord!” said Timperley, with a visible start. “ This is an announcement which I was indeed very far from expecting !” “Tu less than an hour, Mr. Timperley,” inter- rupted Ormsby, “all those documents will be in the bands of the Solicitor of the ‘Treasury.” “ Good heavena, my lord!” ejaculated Timperley, “ this is the very point on which I, have beun so uneary! You must koow that shortly after your uufurtunate father-in-law Mr. Waldron put a period to hia existence, some Government oflicial called tv demand that all deeds und documcuts in any way connedted with youy claim shuuld bo given up.” “And you told him,” seid Lord Ormsby, “ that——-” “That no such papers were in my possession,” rejoined Timperley, “and that none had been Kit in the office; go thut I supposed lr. Wal- dron must have destroyed them before he destruvyed himself.” “ Yes—I know you said this,” observed Lord Grimsby, curtly. ; ‘ AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. “You know it, my lord?” cried the lawyer, with another start. “Yes. Did I not just now tell you that I have instituted all kinds of inquiries by a varioty of secre. means P” “ Ah, true, my lord!” said Timperley. “ And what account will your lordship give to the Suli- citur of the Treasury P” “ None,” was Ormeby’s curt response. “ I shall merely demand that my claims be acknow- ledged by virtue of the unquestionable legal and genealogical evidence affurded by those papers.” “ Ah!” cried Timporloy, his countenance bright- oning up: “if your lordship purposes to act in this manner, it is indeed a rcason why the business should be taken out of my hands.” “ And in what other manner do you suppose I could act, to bo consistent with my desire te avoid raising questions which may affect the reputation of those who are sleeping plavidly in their graves ?” “ You will bo asked, my lord,” said Timperloy, “ why you fled so abruptly from England nineteen years ago.” * And if I chose to obey the impulse of a whim or caprice,” said Ormsby, “ what is that to any one P” ‘ “But it may be hinted, my lord,” resumed Timporley, “ that you ficd because of certain irro- gularitics in the deeds.” “ But they will find all those deeds perfectly regular,” interrupted Orwsaby, pointing to the documents upon the writing-table; “aud whut then can they say P” “They wall perhaps surmise,” suggested Tim- porlcy, “that they are not altuyothor the sano do- euments.” ‘Well, but if I tell thom thut they are the the same documents,” exclaimed Ormsby; “ and if L choose to suffer them tu understand that I took thom awsy with me nineteen years agu—that thoy have ever since been in my pussessiun——~” “ Ah, well, my lord,” cried Timperley, “in this case it canuct be thought that Mr. Waldron de- stroyed then because sume of thom were furgod.” “And thus,” interjected Orrusby, “ I suve the reputation of Mr. WalJron—or rathor, { rescue and rodeem it trom whatsoover cbluguy, moro or less, that may have over fallen upon it. In the sano way dv I throw » protecting shicld over the aemory of my unfortunate wifo. Ay, and by the force of circumstances, Mr. Timperley,” added Lord Ormsby, “ you yourself also will become shielded and proteeted —thoaugh heaven kouws hat I would not travel very far vat of my way tu ju this oa your account slone !” “ Novertheless,” said Mr, Timperley, with a low bow, “I am deeply indebted to your lordobip. The course your lordship purposes tu adupt, will save » thousand inconvenionces. It is very prudent and very wise, my lurd:”—and Mr. Timporley again ubbed his hands in an ungovernable paroxysim of 1 | «jOy. “ Yos,” responded Lord Ormsby, with a cutting rony, “ it will save you the incouveniones of ever being told by the Government authorities that rou were guilty of a dishonourable falsehood when rou denied having certain papers in your posi os liun !—it will likewise save yuu from the inconve- mence of being dver taxed with complicity in a miclooolk CO CO