Agnes Vol. 2 — page 179: what you’re looking at

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

173 AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. honour me with an intimation of your exist: ence P” “Think you, Mr. Timperley,” asked the no- bloraan, with a strong cynical bitterness again in bi: aceents,—“ think you that I was guing tc place myself at all in your power, or throw mygel! upon your tender mercies ? It is truco I had ob- tained possesion of tho genuine ducumont that wus wanted as a legal and legitimate substitute for the document which you and Waldron forged nineteen years ago. But then, bow could I tell with any degree of accuracy how matters wero lott by my sudden flight from England at tho period to which wo havo been glancing back ? Prusceutipne might have been instituted—war- rants might have been issued and nevor recallod in short, Mr. Timperley, it was only consistent with ordinary prudence that I should obtain the certitude of my own safety before taking a step that might have the slightest chance of placing me in your power.” “T am sorry, my lord,”’ said Timperley, with an obscquious bow, “that 1 should enjuy so little of your lordsbip’s confidence. Pardon me for adding, my lord, that if nineteen years have made a differ- ence in your lordship, they have done the same with me. Iam no longer the humble clerk, com- polled to obey the mandates of a master, cven though it be to bocome the accomplice in a crime Tam rich, and consoqueatly independent. Iam well connected too. My niece, ag you may bo awtyy, bas married the Hon. LIcctor ILardress ; said sho will be one day Lady Mondlesham. Thus you sec, my lord, my position offers guaran- GOs “Woll, Mx. Timperley,” intorrupted Orimuohy, ‘yp. :bape 1 myself have come to tho same conclu. siun: perhaps after having instituted sumo in- yuiriee, L considered that you might be trusted up i) a cortain point. Or else think you thut I bhouid have granted you a delay of three wecks to cuablo you to get all those documents together, when if it had euited your purpose to destroy them it would have only taken three minutes to dv so? Bat otill you‘ perhaps will not bo astunished to loarn that Lam going to tako the business out of your hands,” ‘‘ludeed, my lord!” said Timperley, with a visible start. “ This is an announcement which I was indeed very far from expecting !” “Tu less than an hour, Mr. Timperley,” inter- rupted Ormsby, “all those documents will be in the bands of the Solicitor of the Treasury.” “ Good heavena, my lord!” ejaculated Timperley, “this is the very point on which I, bave been so uneary! You must koow that shortly after your uujurtunate father-in-law Mr. Waldron pat a4 period to hia existence, some Government oflicial called tu demand that al] deeds and documcuts in any way connedted with your claim shuuld bo given up.” “And you told him,” said Lord Ormsby, “ that——=” ‘That no such papers were in my pussession,” rejoined Timperley, “and that none had been KML in the office; so that I supposed alr. Wal- dron must have destroyed them before he destruyed dhamaelf.” “ Yes-——I know you said this,” observed Lord rmsby, curtly. ‘ “You know it, my lord?” cried the lawyer, with another start. “Yes. Did I not just now tell you that I have instituted all kinds of inquiries by a varicty uf secre. means P” “ Ah, true, my lord!” said Timperley. “ And what account will your lordship give to the Souli- citur of the Treasury ?” “ None,” was Ormeby’s curt response. “ I shall merely demand that my claims be acknow- ledged by virtue of the unquestionable legal and genealogical evidence affurded by those papers.” “ Ah!” cried Timporloy, his countenance bright- oning up: “if your lordship purposes to act in this manner, it is indeed a roason why the business should be taken out of my hands.” “ And in what other manner do you suppose I could act, to bo consistent with my desire te avoid raising questions which may affect the reputation of thoso who are sleeping plavidly in their graves P” “ You will bo asked, my lord,” said Timperloy, “ why you fled so abruptly from Ingland nineteen yoars ago.” “ And if I chose to obey the impulse of a whim or caprice,” said Ormsby, “ what is that to any one P” ‘ “But it may be hinted, my lord,” resumed Timperley, “ that you fled because of certain irro- rularitics in the deeds.” But they will find all those doeds perfectly regular,” interrupted Orwsby, puinting to the documents upon tho writing-table; “aud whut then can they say P” “They will perhaps surmise,” suggested Tim- porlcy, “that they are not altupothor the sainu dou- cumesnts.” ‘Well, but if 1 tell thom thut they @re the the same documents,” exclaimed Ormsby; “ and if L choose tu suffer them tu understand that 1 took thom awsy with me ninetoeu years agu—that thoy have ever since been im mY }eysessiun——” “ Ah, well, my lord,” ered Timperley, “in this Case it canucot be thought that Alr, Waldron de- strayed thein because sume of thom were furgod.” “And thus,” interjected Orrusby, “ I suve the reputation of Mr. WalJron—or rathor, { rescue and rodeem it trom whataoover obluguy, taore or less, that may have over fallen upon it. In the sane way du I throw ao protecting shicld over the xomory of my unfortunate wifo, Ay, and by the force of circumstances, Mr. Timperley,” added Lord Ormsby, “ you yourself also will becume shielded and protected —though heaven koows hat L would not travel very far out of my way bo lu this oa your account Blone !” “ Novertheless,” said Mr, Timperloy, with a low bow, “Io au deeply indebted to your lordekup. ‘he course your lordship purposes tu adupt, wall save » thousand inconvenionces, It is very prudent and very wise, my lord:”—and Mr. Timporley aguin ubbed his hands in an uspovernable paroxysm of ? «Oy. “Yos,” responded Lord Ormsby, with a cutting rony, “ it will save you the inconvenienes of ever buing told by the Government authorities that rou were guilty of a dishonourable falsehood when rou denied having certain papers in your posiss+ jiun !—jt will likewise save you from the inconve- mence of being dver taxed with complicity in a COLMUG () JNOO|]KS,.CO iin