Agnes: A Tale of the Streets — page 46: what you’re looking at

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420 examined as a witness at tho Inquest, proclaimed ‘her utter inability to explain how her sister-in- law came in possession of the laudanum. A ver- dict of “Temporary Insanity ” was returned ; and the remains were buried with the utmost pri- vacy. Soareoly had the report of the Coroner's in- quest appeared in the newspapers, when it elicited n letter from a chemist in the neighbourhood of Golden Square, stating that on the evening of Josephine’s suicide a female of tall stature, with a thick veil over her countenance, called at his shop and purchased a small quantity of laudanum. She was very plainly dressed; but the chemist had noticed that when she removed her glove to take the money from her purse to pay for the Grug, she displayed a beautiful white hand evi- elantls belonging to a lady. This letter brought two Ui ..zca_ more from othor chemists—until tho fact was evideatly proven that some person answering pretty woll the same description, had bought emall quantities of laudanum at different shops on that particular night. The sorvants at the Villa could not say that Josephine had not been out for an hour or two on the evening thus referred to; while they wero cqually unablo to state that their mistress Cicely had been out secretly on the occasion. It was therefore be- lieved that the mystery was solved in respect to the mode by which the deceased young lady had obtained the poison. But if it were a matter of self-congratulation for Cicely on the one hand, thit she remained altogether unsuspected in reference to the pur- chase of the laudanum, the facts which had trans- pired were, on the other hand, a sourco of an- noyance and perplexity. For how, under existing circumstances, was she to procure tho poison which she had promised to convey to her uncle, Mr. Tim- perley? She dared not disguise herself anew and go and make freeh purchases : she would not even risk the undertaking in any distant obscure pro- vincial town. Yet on the other hand she was anxious to serve her uncle unto the very last: for she knew that thereon depended her heritage of some fifty or sixty thousand pounds, which would be otherwise assuredly left away from her. She was too much a woman of the world not to ap- preciate the value of money, and naturally too ad- venturous in her disposition not to look well after it when there was a chance of its being pro- curod. Some days had clapsed since the suicide of Josephine and the Inquest, and since the frightful revelations which were made to the world through the medium of Andrew Hailes’s Counsel. Cicoly had kept closo to her house,—only going out to attend the inquest, and to call upon her mother- in-law, Lady Mendlesham, who was stretched upon a bed of illness, the result of the torrible shock which she had sustained from recent events. Cicely was thinking how she should proceed in roference to her uncle—whether sho should go and visit him again, and see what ho could suggest—or whether she should wait yet a fow days longer in the hope that her own ingenuity might prompt hor effec- tively,—when sho wad surprised by a visit from Mrs. Timpceriey. “Ah, wy dear aunt!” exclaimed Cicely, putting on a most melancholy expression of countunance ; AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. ‘what terrible things have happened since I saw you the other day! ‘Wo have all our troubles in this life! You must not think it was unkind on my part in not coming to see you again; but I have really been so ill and low-spirited—and then too, I am almost ashamed to show my faco in public, lest people should point at me as tho sister of the young lady who killed hersolf, and the wifo of the gentleman who ran away instead of sur-" rendering to his bail——” “My dear Cicely,” interrupted tho aunt, who was crying and sobbing, “I did not expect you to call on mo yet awhile—I could not expect it undor existing circumstances! On the contrary, I folt that I ought to come and seo you: but I mysclf have been so ill and wretchcd——=” “Poor aunt! And now tell me, when did you 800———” “IT was there yesterday,” interjected Mrs, Timperley, anticipating the remainder of tho question. “Your poor unclo bears up wonder- fully: but then he is sustainod by conscious inno- cence. <Ah, Cicely! how miserable your husband must feel, knowing that ho instigated his wretched sister to kill Mr. Clifford !’” “We will not talk of that, aunt!” said Mrs. Hardress. ‘ Let Hector be what he may, nothing can prevent hjm from some day becoming Lord Mendlesham—and I shall at the same time tako my rank as a peeress. Indeed, my doar aunt, although this world prosents many painful phases to tho view, it also shows some agrocablo ones 7 * No doubt of it, my dear,”” responded tho aunt, who amidst all her troubles, experienced suflicient vanity to be proud of possessing a nieco who already bore the prefix of Zonourable to her name, and who in due course must become a peeress. “ But to return to your poor uncle— he asked vory kindly after you yesterday—he spoke a great deal about the recent unfortunate occurrences—he made me, enter into all do- tails 7 * Ah!” ejaculated Cicely; “and what did he say P—for it struck her at the instant that it was quite possible he might have conveyed to her somo hint or suggestion, through the medium of a miea- sage that might bear a double interpretation, but the true meaning of which might not be discerned by the bearer thercof—for Mrs. Timperley was not remarkable for any great degreo of penctration. “ Your uncle said what a pity it was that so much disgrace should have been brought down upon tho Mondlesham family, and that he wished he could see his lordship to offer his condolements —though of course tho condoloments of a man in prison do seem rather inconsistent.” “ Nevertheless,” observed Cicely, “ you see that my uncle would like to meet Lord Mendlesham :” —and then she thought to heraclf, “This is a sig- nificant remindor for me!” “Your uncle asked me a great deal about tho death of Josephine,” continuod Mrs. Timperley ; “for I neod not tell you that he is not allowed to see the newspapers. Ho wondered how it was possiblo Josephine could have procured the lauda- num —or how it could have been in your house ———” “Why, you might have told him, my dear aunt——” COnniclboooks CO inn