Agnes Vol. 2 — page 185: what you’re looking at

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

“The very same,” answered Corinna. noticed him particularly the other day, youj| very name which she bore! know ——"’ AGNES; OR, DEAUTY AND. PLEASURE, * You } —spotless in character as sho was chaste in the And that name of Agnes,—Qh, with what emotion was it breathed ‘ Giod heavens, my dear cousin!” cried Agnes, , frum the father’s lips!—and how he wept and “ia your brain wandering P You actually frighten | sobbed with all the varied feelings which this me! I do not know Mr. Hargrave! I only heard Winifred speak of him! You know Wini- fred ——Mes. Roderick Dalham P I think I have introduced you to ber ?” * Yes,” said Corinna. lect the tall gentleman in black “ Whom we saw in the Regent’s Park ?” cried Agnes. “Yes! I remember him well !” “And tha¢ was Mr. Hargrave,” rejoined Co- rinna. “ You knew itP and you did not say so? Ob, there is a strange mystery in all this!” “ Very strange, my dear Agnes; for his name is not —— No,” aaid Coriona, interrupting beraelf, and proceeding cautioualy and slowly,—“ his name is nut Mr. Hargrave after all " “ Then whu ie he P” asked Agnes, turning very paleand trembling. “ 1 see, my doar cousin, that all you have been saying is to prepare me fur sume startling revelation! Andthen, the way that you have introduced the name of Mr. Hargrave— the next moment telling me that it is not his name! And, Oh!” cried Agnes, her feelings now being worked up to the extremest verge of tension, “ who could bave told you that you were a rela- tion of mine, unless it were---—But hbesvens ! Corinna! tell me, I beseech you-———” “Ob, prepare yourself, dearest Agnes! prepare yourself,” said the Neapulitan gitl entreatingly, “ for a revelation eo wild and wonderful ~involving something that ia but one step below the super- natural—-as if the dead had como to life and the long-lost were fuuod !” A ery burst from the lips of Agnes, and sho fainted ia Corinna’s arms. The young lady rang the bell: Rachel hastened to answer the sum- mons; and while restoratives were being adminis- tered, Corinna hastily whispored a few words of astounding revelation to tho ears of the worthy woman, “I now ge. to fetch her father !” said Corinna, * Prepare her fully!—yes, prepare her fully to meet bim!—the dead who ig alive! the long. lost who is found! not as plain Mr. Morton Evelyn !—but prepare her to learn that she is the scion of aristocracy — that her father never was an impostor nor @ pre- tender—but that he is Lord Ormsby !” Rachel promised to fulfil Curinna’s injunctions ; and the Neapolitan girl, hastening to slip on her bunnet and shawl, again glided through the gaiden, and passed out of the iron gate. At a little dis- tance she beheld Lord Ormsby, who was anxiously Awaiting her return. Sbe few towards him ; and almost breathless with her omotions, she gasped forth, “ You may come, my lord! you may come ! It would be impossible to convey an adequate “ But do you not recol- a9 Prepare ber to meet him, | [ meeting was but too weli calculated to excite ! And on her side, what emotions were experienced by the lovely daughter !—what bliss filled ber soul! and then what doubts took possession of her mind! —doubts leet this were only a mere dream, tuo bright and beautiful to last ! Rachel had retired; but Corinna was present. She would have withdrawn also, to leave the father and daughter together, but that Lord Ormsby himself bade her remain—for he was afraid lest the effect of thie meeting might be almost more than Agnes could endure, after having already experienced one swoon. But for the lovely girl happiness had 4 powerful Vitality; and when all the doubts were banished from her mind—when sho saw thut it was no dream, but that it waa alla reality ~she abandoned herself as it wero to the tide of biiss on which her soul was now foating,—that tide which was so clear! that soul which wae s¢ stainless! For, Oh! to know a father’s love, she who bad never befure known it! -——to greet a father’s return when she had believed such return impossible !— ¢his was & happiness as groat as if the heart wore re- joicing because the very grave itself bad given up its dead! To be brief, the happiness which Agnes now experienced, was such that though we hive endeavoured to heap some sentences together in otder to describe it, ’tis nevertheless something which defies alZ deacription, and is not to be em- bodied in the shape of any language known to tho human race ! For an hour sat that father and that daughter, With their young cousin—saying a thousand things — wishing to give explanations concerning tho past, yet not knowing at what point tu begin— and over and over again feeling their hearts too full for avy further utterance! And again and again a lung and fervid embrace was taken; and the sire contemplated the daughter with lovks of pride, admiration, and love—and the dauyhter contemplated the parent with a joy sv heartfelt— an affection sv deep—that all the best sentiments of which the human soul is susceptible, secmod concentrated therein! Again and again must wo say that it was a scene which no power of language can describe. CHAPTER XXXI. AGNES AND WER FATHER. At length tho violenco of the first gush of focling subsided somewhat —the very strength of those highly wrought emotions expended itself; and the father and daughter became enabled to converse in } more tranqguillised and deliberate manner than idea of the scene which presently took place, when | thoy had as yet done. And now it was that Co- the dgughter was clasped in the father’s arms— | rinna Paoli seized an opportune moment to glide when again and again, and yet again he strained | away from the apartment; for she naturally felt her to his beart—when he, imprinted a thousand that this tather and this daughter must have much kisses on ber brow—or when ho aurveyed her with | to say to each other—an lofinite variety of explana- all a parent’s pride and adiiration, knowing that tions to give, and an incalculable nuwber of com- she was as pure and virtuous as she was beautiful: munications mutually to make. IJ: was sumw vime AM[ELOG CO CS (CO