Agnes Vol. 2 — page 115: what you’re looking at

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

106 AGNES; OR, REAUTY ANP PLEASURE. cause, as the reader will recollect, the whole of the sently succeeded; and in leas than half-an-hour preceding night had been a sleepless one for him. slumber once more stole upon his eyes. fie had just reached that point where the last | I{uw long he had slept he could not tell, when train of intelligible thought is slipping out of the ' he was awakened by the renewed violent clattering mind, and the idcas are falling into dreamy con- of a horso’s feot :—he started up in such a sudden fusion previous to being steeped in oblivion—or, in plainer terme, he was just sinking into a pro- found slumber, when tho rapid clattering of a horse’s hoofs startled him up to complete wakeful- ness, and he caught the din of a steed galloping away from the house. He sprang out of bed; fright that the perspiration burst out in large drops upon his brow, and he could hear his h «art palpitating as if it were with a series of concus- sions of some tremendous internal pump. <A steed was evidently being gallopped furiously and madly towards the house; and the sounds terminated and tearing aside the curtain, looked through the | with that species of crash which is caused by the window. quadroon, dresved in light flowing drapery, and Then all was still again. At that moment he caught sight of the ; abrupt pulling-up of a horse by a reckless rider. Some moments elapsed with a largo sun-bat upon her head, just as she —we might almost say minutes—before Charles hess appeared in ono of the pictures suspended to the Do Vere could so far compose bis idvas as to give Ww with tho exception that she carried nothing way to deliborate reflection; for the most cuou- io her hands. It was close by the angle of an rageous individual in existence will necessarily outhouse that he beheld her: she was gazing up experience this species of panic terror when so at his window—the moonbeams fell full upon her countenanco—he could even behold them reflected in the luminous depths of her cyes—he could dis- | suddenly startled up from the depthe of a profound slumber. / “Now, after all,” said (Charles to himeclf, tinguish how vividly they set forth the ivory “ what has all this got todo with me? If there whiteness of her teoth between the rich vermi- lion of her lips. And yet it was for barely half a dozen soconda that she thus romained in sight: she looked as if she were gazing ruund the corner of that outbuilding up at Charles De Vere, and that whan she was fully assured he looked at her sho beat a retreat. He dropped the curtain, and retired to hie couch— not immediately to re-enter it, but to re- flact anew upon what had just taken place. What meant tho tramplings of that steed ? who was de- parting from the house? was it villany to be per- were any intention to deliver me up into the hands : of justice, the proceeding would not be conducted "ith a din and a clatter only too well calctlated to fill me with alarm and cause me to escape from tho house. No! it is something which I cannot un- derstand, and into which I have no business to penetrate,—a guest as I am beneath a hospitable rouf! Let me compose myself to slumber again !” Do Vere wiped tho perspiratiqn from his brow, and his head was once more reclined upon the pillow. But thie time sleep did not so readily re- visit his eyes; for notwithstanding all his good petrated elsewhere upon otbers—or treachery to | resolutions, and the charitable constructions whic’ be consummated towards himeolf P—was the qua- | he sought to put upon passing incidents, be could droon.in the garden to keep a watch upon his (our hero’s) chamber ? or was her conduct tantamount to somo overture which only awaited the response from himself? Bewildered what to think—full of misgivings, yet scarcely liking to acknowledge them unto bim- self, much legs 4o give @ more serious expression tv them by any such proceeding as issuing from his chamber and demanding explanations,— Charles sat thinking what surmises to arrive at and what course to adopt. But all was again silent ; and the influences of those mysterious incidents began to subside from his mind—so that he eaid to him- sclf, “ After all, 1 am unmolested—I have received every proof of the most delicate attention, even to the extent of preparing my wardrobe for to- marrow! All this hospitality has been afforded ' without ao much as my very name being de- not help reflecting on them in al] their detasla, while the mysterivua language which had fallen from the lips of Jobn the groom in the stables seemed to form a most élspicious association with those incidents. Yet after a while weariness and exhaustion again invoked the presence of slum- ber; and his senses wero again steeped in obli- vion. Again too was be ignorant of how long he might have slept,—ignorant likewise was he of what the exact circumstance was which caused his awaken- ing—whether a sound falling upon hie car or a hand being laid upon him; but certain it is that he once more started up in sudden affrizht. Tho wax taper had gune out; byt the moon was shining brightly—and he had left the curtain partially drawn back after he had looked from the window at the time when he had seen the quadroon lady in manded, Now, it is all either most gloriously! tho garden, Thus the beams of tho planet of the magnanimous or most hideously treacherous! If' night penetrated into bis chamber; and now he tho former, | have no right to take the slightest beheld a figure standing by the side of his couch. notice of whatsoever is passing within these walls. An ejaculation burst from his lips: it was the word But, if on the uther hand, it be the latter, vainly “ Treachery !" which was thus suddenly vociferated ; land he made a epring towards that form. Tho rry I hope to strupalo againet it!” sharles still re@€ctod tor a fow moments; and then he ejaculated, “ Lot us hope that it is all the former—tho most magnanimous hogpitulity !” Then yielding to the naturally generous im- pulses of his heart, bo stifled all other considera. tions—banished all misgivings—crushed all sus- picions beneath the iron heel, 60 to speak, of his own atrong will; and returning into bed, did hie best to composo himself to sleep. In this he pro figure glided away—it disappeared from his view— and he heard the door of the chamber close, but | not with violence. He was out of bed—he was rushing towards the door, when he stopped short, asking himeelf if it were all a dream or if it were a reality ? He pluced his hand upon his brow, and reficvtml in the must painful bewilderment. He strove to re- collect what semblance the figure wore: but he EORAIC OOO S