Agnes Vol. 2 — page 178: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. nearly nineteen years since——-but I need not allude to unpleasant occurrences ” ‘‘There is no reason why they should so¢ be alluded to, Mr. Timperley,” said Lord Ormsby, in that deop-toned voice of his which seemed to pene- trate into the very profundities of the lawyer’s soul with an offect as if it were a knell awakening a remorse with all its concomitant terrors. ‘ Why not proceed openly and frankly and boldly to state that nearly nineteen years have elapsed since the devilish piece of villany contrived by my father-in-law Joshua Waldron, aided by a certain Thomas Timperley, proved tho fertilo source of a thousand calamities P” “ My lord! my lord!” said Timperley, with a half-frightened, half-deprecating manner, “ I hope your lordship will not use terms that aro too harsh. Be pleased to remember that I was a mere clerk at the time—a servant to a master whoso bread I ato—who paid mo wages— “Do you tnean to tell me,” interrupted Lord | Ormsby, with a movement of disgust and aversion, 171 “When you said that to me, my lord,” replied Timperley, “ 1 wondered how you could possibly know it. But I suppose you naturally concluded the documents were of far too great consequence to make away with P” Ormsby’s lips wreathed scornfully ; and ho said, “ No—nothing of the sort! Tow was I to judge what estimate you might placo upon tho ducu- ments? How did I know but that Waldron himself might have destroyed them ore he com- mitted suicide? or how was I to know that you yourself had not destroyed them, su that there might be naught to criminate you 7” “ True, my lord!” said Timperley; and for a fow moments he looked bewildered. “Then how was it that your lordship knew these papers were still in my possession ?” “ You aro already aware,” continued Ormaby, “how tho baptismal certificate of my grandgire Andrew Evelyn came into my possession.” “Your lordship told mo tho other day,” roplied Timperley. “The certificate had accidentally got “‘ that because he paid you a wage, he bought you, | inside a deed which I had given to my niece body and soul? But let that pass! I tell you | Cicely, that she might take it to your daughter at once, Mr. Timperley, that I am guing to take | Agnes—whence it might finally reach thea hands no step which may unnecessarily compromise you. of old Mr. Barrington= ~ Not that for an instant I would have you sup- *Yoa: and did I not tell you,” resumed puse it is through friendship towards yourself Ormsby, “ bow that deed travollod out to the I am chary of your reputation. Nothing of the | West Indies, and how by the dispensations of sort! But thero is the reputation of others that providence it was made to fall into my hands, 1 would fain scrcon to the utmost of my power. | ao that when I upened it I beheld inside tho cor- I will not suffer the grave tu bo ransacked, that tificate,—the lawful certificate which was to put the momory of my father-in-law may be disinterred, ; mo in possession of my birthright! Then I said so to speak—-or that tho namo of my wretched ‘to myself, ‘If Mr. Timperley is still harping and long-perished wife Tlonoria may likewiso be ‘on the affuir of’ the Ormshy estates and thinking covered with ubloquy. For have | not a daughter i¢ worth while to collect the documents which re- living ” gard that matter, he must have preserved the old “ Yes, yes, my lord!” ejaculated Timperloy— . ones !” a daughter as amiable as she 1s boautitul !” | “Ah! tho calculation was made with infinite ‘‘ Rest assured,” interrupted Ormsby, with that : tact,” cried tho attorney. “I roally do not think cynical bitterness whiche was habitual to him, “1 that the same idea would have struck me! Lut should not take tho guarantee of her character | your lordship was just now speaking of your from your lips!—no, not even the character of: daugliter. May IL inquire if you have yet seen my own daughter! I believe in nothing from ! Mise dsvelyn P” hearsay; neither do I believe in anything from! “1 have seen her: yes, 1 have seon her nearly putward appoarances only. In a word, I believe every day since I arrived in London, which is nothing but that which I ascertain for myself~— | upwards of six wecks ago; for I had been in the which I see with my own eyes—or know of my: metropulis nearly a mouth before I determined own knuwledge—or ascertain through agente of ‘upon prosenting myself to you. Yes—I havo my own appointing, and in whose trustworthiness | seon my daughter—but it has only been from a . | I can place reliance, Ab! you may stare at me, | distance; and I have not yot spoken to her—nor Mr. Timperley !—but did not you yourself just | does she know that I am in oxistence |” now admit that experience must have taught me; “And I can assure you, my lord, that both my- many rude lessons?” self and Mrs. Timperley have’ kept the secret most “ Yes, yes, my lord! no doubt of it!” said the , religiously, acoording to your injunctions. But attorney. | pray suffer me to ask wheretore your lordship is “You do well to assure yourself,” continued | thus delaying that which ought to provea joy Ormsby, “ that the person whom you now seo before | and a delight 7 youis a very different being indeed from him whom! “'Think you that it would have been a joy aud you beheld fleeing away from England nivetoon ‘a delight,” interrupted Ormsby, stornly, “to go, years ago! The Morton Evelyn of to-day is differ- | and clair, rocognise, and ackuowledgo a daughter pnt inderd from the Morton Evelyn of that period ! ' without being previously confident that ste was_ Did I not . The real Lord Ormsby, of this date is very difloront ‘worthy of such acknowled;rrnent P from the falso Lord Ormsby of tho period to which learn how her cousin Floribel Lister fled from hor we are referring! What did you think, Mr. Tim- ; home ” perley whon after having presented mysvlf to you | in Regent Street, the other day, the very next ; that your wisdom and prudence and caution are thing I said to you was this—‘ Fou have got all: very great! the documents which regard my pase, and it were wherofuro, after arriving in England, you sufferod useless for you to deny it ?'” “ Ah, well, my lord,” said Mr. Timperley ; OF ayes But might I be pormitted to inquires. lan entire mongh to elapse era you deigned w , GOGO CS