Agnes: A Tale of the Streets — page 229: what you’re looking at

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

“The very same,” answered Corinna. noticed bim particularly the other day, you|very name which she bore! know ——”’ AGNES; OR, DRAUTY AND. FLEACURE, “ You }—spotless in character as she was chaste in the And that name of Agnes,—QOh, with what emotion was it breathed “God heavens, my dear cousin!” cried Agnes, , frum the father’s lips!—and how he wept and ‘ia your brain wandering P You actually frighten | sobbed with all the varied feelings which this me! I do not know Mr. Hargrave! I only heard Winifred speak of him! You khow Wini- fred ——Mes. Roderick Dalham P I think I have introduced you to ber ?” “ Yes,” said Corinna. lect the tall gentleman in black “ Whom we saw in the Regent’s Park ?” cried Agnes, “Yes! I remember: him well!” “And that was Mr, Hargrave,” rejoined Co- rinna. “ You knew it P and you did not say so? Ob, there is a strange mystery in all this!” “ Very strange, my dear Agnes; for his name is not No,” said Corinna, interrupting beraelf, and proceeding cautiously and slowly,—“ bis name is nut Mr. Hargrave after all e “ Then whu ie he ?” asked Agnes, turning very paleand trembling. “ I see, my doar cousin, that all you bave been saying is to prepare me for sume startling revelation! And then, the way that you have introduced the name of Mr. Hargrave— the next moment telling me that it is not his name! Aud, Oh!” cried Agnes, her feelings now being worked up to the extremest verge of tension, “ who could have told you that you were a rela- tion of mine, unless it were—~—But heavens! Corinna! tell me, I beseech you———” “Ob, prepare yourself, dearest Agnes! propare yourself,” said the Neapulitan gitl entreatingly, “for a revelation eo wild and wonderful ~ involving something that is but one step below the super- natural—as if the dead had come to life and the long-lost were found !” A cry burst from the lips of Agnes, and she fainted in Corinna’s arms. The young lady rang the bell: Rachel hastened to answer the sum- mons; and while restoratives were being adminis- tered, Coriana hastily whispored a few words of astounding revelation to tho ears of the worthy woman, “T now ge. to fetch her father !” said Corinna, * Prepare her fully!—yes, prepare her fully to meet him !—the dead who ie alive! the long- lost who is found! Prepare ber to meet him, not as plain Mr. Morton Evelyn !—but prepare her to learn that she is the scion of aristocracy — that her father never wes an impostor nor @ pre- tender—but that be is Lord Ormsby !” Rachel promised to fulfil Cuorinna’s injunctions ; and the Neapolitan girl, hastening to slip on her bunnet and shawl, again glided through the garden, and passed out of the iron gate. At a little dis- tance she beheld Lord Ormsby, who was anxiously awaiting her return. She flew towards bim ; and almost breathless with her emotions, she gasped forth, “ You may come, my lord! you may come |" Lt would be impossiblo to convey an adequate idea of the scene which presently took place, when the dgughter was clasped in the father’s arme— when again and again, and yet again he strained her to his beart—when he. imprinted a thousand kisses on ber brow—or when he aurveyed her with all a parent’s pride and admiration, knowing that she was as pure and virtuous as she was beautiful “ But do you not recol- §9 | meeting was but too weli calculated to excite ! And on her side, what emotions were experienced by the lovely daughter !—what bliss filled her svul! and then what doubts took pussession of her mind! —doubts lest this were only a more dream, tvo bright and beautiful to last ! Rachel had retired; but Corinna was present. She would have withdrawn also, to leave the father and daughter together, but that Lord Ormeby himself bade her remain—for he was afraid lest the effect of thie meeting might be almost more than Agnes could endure, after having already experienced one swoon, . Bat for the lovely girl happiness had a powerful vitality; and when all the doubts were banished from her mind—when sho saw that it was no dream, but that it was alla reality —she abandoned herself as it wero to the tide of biiss on which her soul was now fluating,—that tide which was so clear! that soul which waa s¢ stainless! For, Oh! to know a father’s love, she who bad never befure known it!—to greet a father’s return when she had believed such return impossible! — this was & happiness as great as if the heart wore ro- joicing because the very grave itself bad given up its dead! To be brief, the happiness which Agnes now experienced, was such that though we have endeavoured to heap some sentences together in order to describe it, tis nevertheless something which defies ali description, and is not to be em- bodied in the shape of any language known tu tho human race ! For an hour sat that father and that daughter, With their young cousin—saying a thousand things — wishing to give explanations concerning the past, yet not knowing at what point tu begin— and over and over again feeling their hearts too full for avy further utterance! And again and again a long and fervid embrace was taken; and the sire contomplated the daughter with louks of pride, admiration, and love—and the dauvhter contemplated the parent with a joy 8v heartfelt— an affection sv deep—that all the best sentiments !of which the human soul is susceptible, secmod concentrated therein! Again and again must wo say that it was a scene which no power of language can describe. CHAPTER XXXI. AGNES AND HER FATHER. Ar length the violenco of the first gush of fecling subsided somewhat — the very strength of those highly wrought emotions expended itself; and the father and daughter became enabled to converse in | more tranquillised and deliberate manner than | thoy had as yet done. And now it was that Co- rinna Paoli seized an opportune moment to glide | away from the apartment; for she naturally felé | that this tather and this daughter must have much ‘ to aay to each other—an infinite variety of explana- tions to give, and an incalculable nuwber of com- : Munications mutually to make. It was sunw vime MICLO@ COMNMUG S