Agnes: A Tale of the Streets — page 226: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLRASURE. Was it that the rod which had just now stricken tho sterile rock of his breast bad become also an enchanter’s wand to work its spell upon his fea- turesP—was it that tho tears which had welled forth from his eyes, had with their torronts swept away the dark sombre looks of cynicism ?—was it that the cloud having discharged its deluge, had passed away from the hearen which it had dark- ened, leaving it in a serene and placid sunlight P We do not say that it was precisely in such terms as those that Mr. Timperley questioned himsolf on the point: but, as we have intimated, he was assu- redly struck by the change that had taken place within the last few minutes in Lord Ormsby’s looks. ° “You have told me something, Mr. Timperley, which bas affected me deeply,” he said, in a voice that was milder and lees lugubrious than it had hitherto sounded. “I could not have possibly foreseen that such a revelation was in storo for me! Alas, after all 1 had judged Honoria too harshly ! God have mercy upon, her soul for having given mo the cause thus sternly to judgs !—and God for- give me for having dene it!” With these words Lord Ormsby turned abruptly away from the lawyer's presence, and uitted the house. ; CHAPTER XXX. CORINNA AND AGNES. Tux roador will remember that when we last spoke of Corinna Paoli, we left her stretched upon a bed of sickness, on which sho bad beon thrown by the sudden announcement that her lover Edgar Mar- cellin was the murderer of her brother Giulio. But as tho reador has no doubt surmised, Edgar Marcellin succceded in é@atiefying Corinna that be was completely innocent of the heinous crime, which could be ascribed only to the Marchioness di Mirano. Thus, whon Kdgar had set off from England on hie expedition to Florence, he left Corinna with a tremendous weight taken off her mind, and experiencing a sudden improvement in her health, which was naturally the result of that mental alleviation. I¢ was about eighteon days since Marcellin had takon his departure, and Corinna was as yet en- tirely without any intelligence with regard to the numerous adventures he had experienced in the Tuscan capital. She bad received one letter from him: it was hurriedly written “rom Genoa, to say that he had arrived thus fae in safety and was about to make the best of his way on to Florence. The young girl was now completely restored ‘o health, and enabled to go forth and take exercise as usual. It was about three o'clock in the afternoon of the same day on which the interviow had taken place between Mr. Timperley and Lord Ormsby, that Corinna was walking in the garden belonging to Sidney Villa. Her little brother was home from school for a half-holiday, and was playing about with his little sister—for the day was a fine one. Every now and then Corinna looked towarda the iron gates; and sho mentally ejaculated, “I cer- tainly thought he would have core this afternoun ! 176 Could [ have mistaken what he told me the day befure yesterday ?” Prosently, when her little brother and sister were at a considerable distance in the garden, Corinna opened the gato and went out into the road. An ejaculation oscaped her lips; for bee hold! at a little distance sbe perceived the gentle- man whom she was expecting. She hastened to- wards him, exclaiming, “I thought I could not have misunderstood you, Mr. Hargrave! I was almost sure you would come !” “Yes—I promised to be with you this after- noon,” he replied : “ but I am half-an-hour later than I had expected I should be. I have been detained on business of the most important na- ture.” « And to-day, you know, Mr. Hargrave,” said Corinna, “you are to give me important infor- mation. Do you not remember that these were the words you used the day before yesterday ?” “And I intend to keep my promise,” was tho response. “ But can you walk with me for half- an-bour ?”’ “ Yvs,” answered Coriona: “my littlo brother and sister aro playing in the garden, where they cannot possibly take any harm.” “Thon lot us walk up this diverging avenue, as usual—and you must listen attentively to me, Corinna; for the revolations I am about to make aro indeed of a most important nature.” “Oh! rest assured, Mr. Hargrave, that I shall listen with attention!” replied the young lady. ‘And now that we are beyond the view of the villa, I beseech you to lose no time iu vpening your mind to mo.” “ You remomber all that I said to your father and yourself a few weoks ago ?” “Qn the very same day when that angel of goodness Agnes discovered us in our wretched abode !” “That very same day, Corinna. ber, I ask, what { thon told you ?” “ Yos, Mr. Hargrave,” replied the damsel: “I remember you said that you had jn other times been an intimate friend of Mr. Morton Evelyn, the father of Agnes: you also said that for thia and for other reasons you experionced the greatest possible interest in Agnes—but that you had beon absent for co long a time from England you knew nothing about her V “Yes—all this I said, Corinna; and it was be- cause I did desire to know. something relative to tho character, disposition, habits, and pursuits of Agnos, that [ availed myself of the arrangement which she had made for you to go and live with her-———”” ‘And thus I have acted as a sort of spy upon her proceedings!” exclaimed Corinna. “But I have experioncod no regret and no remorse for having done so, Mr. Hargrave,” she continued ; “becauso from the very first I felt assured that it could be nothing but a good account that I should have to give of her; for everybody could tell by a single glance at her countonance that she is an angel of goodness! And then too you assured, ne so positively, Mr. Hargrave, that it was entirely in Agnes’ interests you were acting and that you consequently engaged my services. In short, you said that if Agnes proved to bo everything you hoped, desired, and expected, you had in. store for You remem- COnnicloe® nn SS