Agnes: A Tale of the Streets — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

AGNRE; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. Sther. Indeed, he gave the complete narrative to ord Ormeby, and consulted with that noblemen wow 1¢ were best to break the intelligence to Agnes: but it was egreed to postpone this painful task fur the present, so that nothing might mar the happiness which the amiable girl experienced under the influence of existing circumstances. Ono the occasion of hie last visit to England, to see hie daughter and tell her of the painful things that had occurred at Florence in respect to the in- juricus suspicions which had been so unhappily excited against our hero,—Ormeby had found that the Government was quite ready and walling to recognise his title to the peerage and estates which he claimed ; and the Lord Chaneellor had assared him that the appeal to tho Committee of Privileyes in the House of Lords wuuld prove a mere matter of form, The Commissioners of Woods and Forests at once gave up the large estates in Wiltshire which had fer so.long a period been held by the Crown in default of the appearance of an heir to the Ormaby Peerage ; while the Commissiuners ot the Sinking Fund were equally prompt in makiog over the sum of ready money, now more than two hundred thousand pounds. Thue Ormsby at length opebly aseumed his Utle, and he ceased tu appear in the world as simple Mr. Hargrave. Our hero failed vot, in bis private discuurse with Lord Ormsby, to explain everything be heard frow the lips ot Fioribel Lister at Turin, in respect to the infamous compact made betwixt Mr. and Mre. Hardress. Of that compact Charles himselt was one of the objects, the unprincipled husband having given leave and permission to his licentious minded wife. to bestow ber favoure upon our hero if he himself would respond to her overtures. Charles also explained to Lord Ormsby how those over. thres had been made at Florence, and how com- pletely he had repulsed them. Ormeby io bis turn entered into details to show how completely he had been deceived by Cicely; and thus all these matters were completely cleared up to the knuw- ledge of each other. ‘!ndeed, Charles bad pre- viously heard from bis mother’s lips some purtion cf those circumstances which regarded Orineby’s interviews with Cicely : but they were now more fully detailed by this nubleman himself, aud there- fore acquired a more perfect signili¢ancy. Charles was greatly grieved tu hear of that ter- ribie tragedy which involved tke fate of Gustavus Barrington aud the quadroon. Qn the otber band, he wan pleased to learn that Sir Ruderick and Lady Dalbam were now in the enjoyment of as much prosperity as 8 short time back their pusition oad been maiked by adversity. We must wi- nutely explain to the reader what were the imme- diate results of the sudden and simultaneous de- parture ot Gustavus Barrington and bis quadroon wife from the world. Mr, Pinnock in the West Indies was dead, having left bis immense fortune to his daughter Ewily—for bis daughter she reully was, although she had always passed ae his niece. As o matter of cuurse that fortune became the pro. perty of Gustavus io mght of his wife; and when ovth died, it devolved upon Winifred, her cousiu’s geiress, And not only the fortune of the late Mr. Pinnock, but likewise the fortune left by vld Mr. ‘Barridgton, und which was the prize earned by ‘the lony-cuutested lawsuit! Yes—two fortunes Were thus simultancvuely inkerited by Sir Bode- rick aod Lady Dalham ; and our hero, the young Cuunt of Camerino, was much delighted wher these circumstances were explained to him, al. though on the other he deeply deplored the lamen. table and romantic fate of Guotarus and Emily. We may here incidentally mention that imme- diately after the occurrences at Sienna, and wher firmly established in the possession of the Came- ring estates, our hero sent off a messenger to Turin, with a letter for Floribel, beseeching and iniploring that she would permit him to provide in u respectable and honourable manner for ber future maintenance. But the messenger returned without being able to discover the slizitest trace of the young lady to whum tbe letter was ad- Gressed. Cummunicationg were received fram Whe Mar- ‘quis of Ortona, who having been sev-tely wounded 4n the boat during tiv retreat from-Layhoro, had Jain for two or three weeks in a very Uritioal state at Genoa. So suun as Signor Pulies bad cai- pleted all the business which regarded the tetitaye ‘of the young Count of Oaarerino, he paired to Gena, to see his other nuble event, Whe Ma: quis of Ortoua. It appeared that the Piedauntese ‘Guvernment was by no means inclined tu take notice of the, fact ‘hat an armed expéditivn had been ‘fitted out from ‘the Sardinian shures to make uO @liempt upon the étritury of a neighbouring Power with whom that Gureroment was at peace. Loe truth was that Krag Victor E.wouvenuel was ‘tuu wuch delighted at having gut inty his potses- sion, through the Grand Dake of Tuscany, ‘the correspondence which hie fatter Carlo Alberto had fur a long period carried do with the Ourbunari. Tue Grand Duke of Museany himeelf desired at that particular moment, Rad for sevoral reasons, to adopt a conciliatory policy ; and he therefore sef- fercd it to be underetood that those Tuscan épd- jects who might have een concerned in the tute attempt upon Leghorn, should be pardowed on preaenting themselves wittia a given Withe to any uf the lucal authorities ‘@ad ‘taking the vath of allegiance : while in respect to those conspirators who were sof Tuscan subjects, a pardon was to be accorded tu such e8 ahvuld apply for it. These merciful measures, following sv speedily on the fierce proclamations that had been issued and the terrific penaliivs that had been fulminated against the conspirators, uaturally excited much amaze- ment. But those who were behind the scenes cui iprelended full well that the letters of Charles Albert compromised s6 mupy exalted and in- flueutial persons throughout Italy, that if the pro- scriptlun were continued against the members of thosv Secret Societies which recognised the Mar- quis of Ortona as their chie’, there was the danger ot being compelled to include a number of persons who could make very disagreeable revelations in respect to thet correspondence which has so often been referred to, Tuere were other reasuns why the Tuecan Government found itself in a positiun to be lenient in the prevent ease. The explosion uf the late conspiracy . ad completely disheartened all the leaders of pulitical party ; and there wae not the slightest ohwuce of their being enabled tu raliy their secret furees, even if they still pos- sessed the inclination. 1t was thus that the Grand Dake ‘ovugid-afford to be merciful —the op- portunity was cunvenient—and this therefore uh § ane: cComiclboao S