Agnes: A Tale of the Streets — page 283: what you’re looking at

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232 ced in the cushion; and she there stifled sobe—aye, and even cries that if not thus subdued, would have been heard throughout the building. Never was woman so mortified! never was a rebuff so deeply, keenly, poignantly felt! But all of a sudden she started up--she dashed away her tears —and she murmured to herself, “I must be re- venged !—yes, by some means I must be revenged upon that young profligate who keeps all his sensual love for the quadroon !” ; Five or six days passed, during which interval Cicely beheld nothing more of Charles Do Vere; and Hector had left Florence upon somo clue, real or imaginary, which he had obtained to the desti- nation taken by Floribol Lister when she quitted the Tuscan capital. One day—to bo particular as to date, it was on tho 22nd of November—Cicely was seated alone in the apartment where hor terrible humiliation had taken place, when a domestic entered announcing that a gentleman feom England desired an interview with her. “A gentleman from Lngland?” ejaculated Cicely, “Who can he bo? Let him be shown up.” In a few minutes a tall distinguished-looking man—dressed in black, with picrcing dark eyes, and hair tLat was turning grey, though he had a remarkably fine set of teeth, and in other respects looked youngor than those prematuro snows upon the head might seem to indicate—entered the apartment. Cicely rose to receive him; and he, at once recognising her by the portrait he had seen in London at the houso of Mrs. Maddox in | AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLYASURE. conjecture for what he wasso arrested, Mrs, Hard- ress P”’ ‘ “My God!’ she said, becoming as pale as death : “has that been brought to light at last ?” “ Yes—it is so,” responded Lord Ormsby ; “ and I do not hesitate to tell you, Mrs. Hardress, that I have taken some share in those proceedings ! which have resulted in bringing your uncle to | Justice !”” ‘You, sir? And why you, sir?” demanded Cicely, with a sudden sinister flashing of her eyes. ‘Why should you have done this ?” “Because,” replied Ormsby, “it was a duty that I owed to sbciety—and a duty likewise which was owed to that poor Winifred whom your wretched uncle suffered to be arrested, tried—aye, and would have suffered likewise to be hanged for the crime which he himself committed! And you too, Mrs. Hardress, have not played a very fine part towards poor Winifred; for you have long been cunversant with the fact that your uncle was the true criminal—and yot you have nevor raised your voico to proclaim it !” “Toll me, Mr. Hargrave—tell me,” said Cicely, in an agitated manner, “ will any harm accrue to meP” “Yeu kpow of a murder, Mrs. Hardress,” re- plied Ormsby,—“ you knew who the murderer was—and you sbiolded him! I¢ is almost like becoming an accessory after the fact in “He was my uncle, Mr. Hargrave !” oxclaimed Cicely. “Yes: and say also,” rejoined the nobleman, Norton Stroet, said, “I know that I havo the | “ that he purchased your silence for thirty thousand honour of speaking to Mrs. Hardress. Permit mec to announce myself as Mr. Hargrave.” “Ab, I have heard of you, Mr, Hargrave!” ejaculated Cicely. “ You brought from Jamaica a cortain document which had found its way thithor, and which I in the first instance procured from my uncle Mr. Timperley. My friend Miss Erelyn told me how you arrived in England and gave the document to Winifred Barrington.” “YT hava brought you a letter from Miss Evelyn,” said Lord Ormsby. “ Here it is.” “Ah! a letter from my dear friend Agnes?” cried Cicely, breaking the seal. ‘ And it is dated the 14th instant. Ab! if seems, thon, Mr. Llar- grave, that you are a very uld friend of Agnes— deeply intorested in hor welfare—and as much attached to her as if you were her own father. Oh! no wonder! It is impossible not to lovo Agnes! Aud so I perceive also by this letter, that M. Marcellin and Signor Paoli have arrived in ngland- | “Yes—upon the very samo day on which that letter was written,” responded Lord Ormsby ; and then it was with « considerable degree of anxiety that he watched Ciculy’s countenance, for be knew what would next follow in the letter which she held in her hand. ° ** Good heavens!” she cricd, “what does Agnes meanP I am to prepare myself for a terrible ‘pounds! The world, Mrs, IHardreas, will form its vpinion upon your conduct; but I do not know that the law itself will moddle with you. The man was your uncle, as you say; and that con- sidoration will have its weight—for it is natural to screen a relatives For my own part, Mrs. Hardress, I came to break to you the intelligence of this awful bursting of the storm above the head of your uncle: I have travelled day and night from England to be the bearer of the intelligence, so that it should be communicated delicately—and with due preparation,” he added, pointing to Agnes’ letter. “ Because Iam not unwindful of your gencrous intervention in procuring the docu- | ment from your uncle on behalf of poor old Mr. Barrington—- “Alas, Mr. Hargrave!” said Cicely, “it was in- deod my duty to do something for the Barrington family after having held my peace and kept the soul of silence on my lips when on the other hand it was my bounden duty to proclaim the innocence | of Winifred! But good heavens! my uncle ar- restod on that terrible charge! And my poor aunt 2” I know not how she has taken it,” replied | Ormeby. “I left London on the evening of the 14th, the day on which your uncle was arrested.” “And the chain of evidence?” inquired Cicely. ‘‘ Most providentially worked out!” answered revelation !—a revolation of something which oc Ormsby; “and by no means unconnected with curred on the very day on which she penned tais} your visit, Mra. Hardress, when you were atill comrmunication—the l4th instant! Ob, Mr. lar. Miss Noale, to Mrs. Maddox in Norton Street to grave! what is it? what is it?” _ purchase Mrs, Chicklade’s letters,” ‘Your unclo Mr. Timperley,” replied Lord, “Ab!” cried Cicely, turning pale. “ (ood Ormsby, “was on that day arrested Prepare | heavens! has any inadvertence on my part—— yourself—nerve yeurscli——no doubt you can| “ By the acosunt which I have heard, Mrs, cComicboo S