Agnes Vol. 2 — page 182: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES; OR, BRAUTY AND PLRASURE. Was it that the rod which had just now stricken the sterile rock of his breast had become also an enchanter’s wand to work its spell upon hie fea- tures?—was i¢ that the tears which had welled forth from his eyes, had with their torronts swept away the dark sombre looks of cynicism ?—was it that the cloud having discharged its deluge, had passed away from the hearen which it had dark- ened, leaving it in a serene and placid sunlight P We do not say that 1 was precisely in such terms as those that Mr. Timperley questioned himsolf on the point: but, as we have intimated, he was assu- redly struck by the change that had taken place within the last few minutes in Lord Ormasby’s looks. ° “You have told me something, Mr. Timperley, which has affected me deeply,” he said, in a voice that was milder and less lugubrious than it had hitherto sounded. “I could not have possibly foreseen that such a revelation was in storo for me! Alas, after all 1 had judged Ionoria too harshly ! God have mercy upon, her soul for having given mo the cause thus sternly ¢o judgo !—and God for- give mo for having done it!” With these words Lord Ormsby turned abruptly away from the lawyer's presence, and yuitted the house. | CHAPTER XXX. CORINNA AND AGNES. THE reador will remember that when we last spoke of Corinna Paoli, we left her stretched upon a bed of sickness, on which she bad been thrown by the sudden announcement that her lover Edgar Mar- cellin was the murderer of her brother Giulio. But as tho reador has no doubt surmised, Edgar Marcellin succceded in Satisfying Corinna that he was completely innocent of the heinous orime, which could be ascribed only to the Marchioness di Mirano. Thus, whon Kdgar had set off from England on his expedition to Florence, he left Corinna with a tremendous weight taken off her mind, and experiencing a sudden improvement in her health, which was naturally the result of that mental alleviation. I¢ was about eighteon days since Marcellin had taken his departure, and Corinna was as yet on- tirely without any intelligence with regard to the numerous adveatures he had experienced in the Tuscan capital. She had recoived one letter from him: if was hurriedly written “rom Genoa, to say that he had arrived thus fae in safety and was about to make the best of his way on to Florence. The young girl was now completely restored ‘o health, and enabled to go forth and take exercise as usual. It was about three o’clock in the afternoon of the same day on which the interview bad taken place between Mr. Timperley and Lord Ormsby, that Corinna was walking in the garden belonging to Sidney Villa. Her little brother was home from school for a half-holiday, and wae playing about with his little sister—for the day was a fine one. Every now and then Corinna looked towards the iron gates; and she mentally ejaculated, “ I cer- tainly thought he would have corse thia afternvun ! 176 Could [ have mistaken what he told me the day befure yesterday P” Prosently, whon her little brother and sister were at a considerable distance in the garden, Corinna opened the gato and went out into the road. An ejaculation escaped her lips; for be- hold! at a little distance she perceived the gentie- man whom she was expecting. She hastened to- wards him, exclaiming, “I thought I could not have misunderstood you, Mr. Hargrave! I was almost sure you would come !” “Yes—I promised to be with you this after- noon,” he replied : “ but I am half-an-hour later than I had expected I should be. I have been detained on business of the most important na- ture.” “ And to-dav, you know, Mr. Hargrave,’ said Corinna, “you are to give me important infor- mation. Do you not remember that those wero the words you used the day before yesterday ?” “And I intend to keep my promise,” was the response. “ But can you walk with me for half- an-bour ?”” “Yous,” answered Corinna: “my little brother and sister are playing in the garden, where they cannot possibly take any harm.” “Thon lot us walk up this diverging avenue, as usual—and you must listen attentively to me, Corinna; for the revolations I am about to mako aro indeed of a most important nature.” “Oh! rest assured, Mr. Hargrave, that I shall listen with attention!’ replied the young lady. ‘And now that we are beyond the view of the villa, I beseech you to lose no time ia vpening your mind to mo.” “You remombor all that I said to your father and yourself a few weoks ago ?” “Qn the very same day when that angel of goodness Agnes discovered us in our wretched abode !”’ “That very same day, Corinna. ber, I ask, what { thon told you P” “ Yos, Mr. Hargrave,” replied the damsel: “TI remember you said that you had jn other times been an intimate friend of Mr. Morton Evelyn, the father of Agnes: you also said that for thie and for other reasons you experienced the greatest possible interest in Agnes—but that you had been absent for co long a time from England you knew nothing about her ” * Yes—all this I said, Corinna; and it was be- causo I did desire to know. something relative to tho character, disposition, habits, and pursuits of Agnes, that [ availed myself of the arrangement which she had made for you to go and live with her-———”” ‘And thus I have acted as a sort of spy upon her proceedings!” exclaimed Corinna. “But I have experienced no regret and no remorse for having dono so, Mr. Hargrave,” she continued ; ‘ becauso from the very first I felt assured that it could be nothing but a good account that I should have to give of her; for everybody could tell by a single glance at her countenance that she is an angel of goodness! And then too you assured. ne so positively, Mr. Hargrave, that it was entirely in Agues’ interests you were acting and that you consequently engaged my services. In short, you said that if Agnes proved to be everything you hoped, desired, and expected, you had in. store for You remem- CORNICE OO SS