Agnes: A Tale of the Streets — page 264: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES; GR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. opened the door; and she particularly noticed the fine tall figure, the style of dress, and the thick black vei} concealing the countenance. While I was engaged bargaining with the young lady, my servant went out for some purpose; and lo and behold! as she was coming through Fitzroy Square on her way home, she was suddenly struck by per- eviving the tall lady with the veil. A gentleman was following-——the Jady raised her veil—and then, aa the light of tho lamp fell upon hor countenance, the features were completely revealed te the view of my servant. When she came home she told me 233 “What! Timperley my f¢iend ¥’ exclaimed Ormsby, “Ob, no! Heaven forbid !” “Then who are you P” inquired the woman, now turning deadly pale even through her rouge. “No mattor who I am!” replied Ormsby. “Suf- fice it for you to know that I am not the friend of Timperley.” “ But what have I done ? what have I done ?” cried Mrs. Maddox, wringing her hands. “ Per- hapa you are an officer of justice? Ab, I thoughé I had seen you before !—it struck mo there was: something in your look that was not altogether un- what had happened, and she described the young | known to me!” lady's face.” “Well,” said Ormsby, “and did that descrip- tion lead you to the discovery of who the young lady was ?” “Not at the time,” responded Mrs. Maddox. ‘Indeed it was only yesterday that the discovery was made. I have still got that servant-woman with me; and last evoning she comes in, cxclaim- ing, ‘Now. I know who the young lady was.’— ‘What young lady?’ I asked, for the adventure ““No—I am not an officer of justice,” said Ormsby ; “ and I do not know that you have very much to fear-———” “ But why did you tell mo you were a friend of Mr. Timperley? It was shameful! You have taken scandalous advantage of mo !” “I confess that your complaint is not altogether unfounded,” said the nobleman ; “and it would really be unpardonable if I were to leave you in any painful uncertainty. Nv, no! I will not! So had gono out of my-jmind.—‘ Why, the young lady ; far from suffering for what you have told me, you. with the black veil, described it after L came in that night®from Fitz- | So I went—and I not only saw tho | And | row P” roy Square.’ picture, but I bought one of the copies. here it is, sir!” Thus speaking, Mrs. Maddox opened a drawer wards of a year ago,’ said | shallbe rowarded. And you can still farther serve me perhaps,” added Ormaby in # musing tone. “But who are you, sir?’ asked the woman: “ why did you play me such a trick P how did you kuow that I had written to Mr. Timperley to beg him to call on me this evening or to-mor- “] knew nothing beyond what your own lips have uttered,” replied Ormsby. “I called to make in the table; and producing a lithographic print, a particular inquiry—an inquiry totally uncon- displayed it before the nobleman. “ Ah!” he ejaculated: for i¢ was the likeness of the Hon. Mrs, Hardress! “OF course you knew who she was in a mo- nected with Mr, Timperley ——” “ And what is that inguiry?” demanded Mrs. Maddox. “About twenty yeara ago——— you see I am ment,” said Mra, Maddox; “ because, as you are a | going back to a remote date- friend of Mr. Timperley’s, you must be acquainted with bis niece.” “Yeu, yes,” said the nobleman: “ that is his niece Cicely !” “The instant I found out that the young lady was the Hon. Mrs, Hardress,” pursued Mrs. Mad- dux, “1 set to work to know who the Hon. Mra Mfardreas might be. The Peeraye soon gave me that infurmation ; and to my surprise I found that she was niece to Thomas Timperley Esy., solicitor, of Lincoln’s Inn Tielda!” ‘ And it was his niece Cicely who purchased those papers from you !” cjaculated Ormsby. “An!” | “Twenty yoars ago?” echoed Mrs, Maddox. ‘liow did you know that I lodged here twenty years ago?” “JT did not know it. There! your own lips bave told if to me!—and in the agme way was it that you went on speaking about Mr. Timperley in a manner that affurded me a clue——” “Yea, yes—I see that now !” said the woman. “ But twenty years ago you were speaking of that-remote date——did I know you then P” “TI cannot tell—l should think not,” Ormesby. “ Yes, yes—I am almost convinced that I have said: Le thought within himsclf, as a sudden light | seen you before! Why, twenty yearsago a flashed upon his mind and be remembered what | “Thero was a young female living in this his daughter Agnes had told him of Cicely,— | house,” said Ormsby,—“ one in whom I took an “no wonder she exercises a strong hold upoo her uncle !”’ “And so you see, sir,” continued Mrs. Maddox, “that when I yosterday discovered that the young ; came to buy the papers of mo was Mr. Timperley*~aigce, 1 began to put two and two to- gether—I thoug was very singular ” “Ah! I comprehery what it is that you sus- pecred !” said Ormsby} # Xou thought that as Mr. Timperley’s niece emo %} buy up the papors, it was on account of at letter which he had written to Mrs. Chickladc’ “No doubt of it!” ejacul io Sl as clear as daylight ! tude, sir, in speaking of your f nd" d the womans “it ' interest do not wish to be | “T remember !” cried Mrs. Maddox, holding up her hands in astonishment. ‘“ You mean Lucy Maitland !” “Ido. What has become of her P” “Oh! she wont away almost immediately after you came to sce her. I recollect it all well enough now ! ‘She was a good girl—she had been seduced ——she was in a way to become a mother—but she would ngt turn into the pathway of crime. Yes— those were her very words! I recollect them as if it was but yesterday they were spoken! And she said that you had eaV8d her !” “ Did she merdion my name P” asked Ormeby. * No—but pe told me that she knew it: she o cComiciaoo SS CO