Agnes Vol. 2 — page 221: what you’re looking at

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

214 snid she should ever remember it in her prayers. AGNES 5 OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURK. “ Did she tell you who her betrayer was P” askod 1 myself was just fresh upon town then; and I Mrs. Maddox. recullect that I sympathized with her. Inter I should have Jaughed at her. wil] be surprised it———but that very Mra. Chicklade——” “What of her ?” demanded Ormsby hastily. “She was the landlady of this house—yes, the A year But, Ab! you his name.” for you do not seem to know | (said the woman. Joved him well—as I also had loved my betrayer “No,” was the response. “She mentioned not “ Neither to me did she ever mention his name,” “She often spoke of him—she Ah, I daresay it 1s the common atory of all us un- landlady of this house twenty years ago — who | furtunato women !—one tale suits the case of pretty turned poor Lucy Maitland cut into the streets | nearly all!” when sho was abandoned by her seducer and had | become deatitute !” ‘Good heavens! is it possible?” exclaimed Ormsby. “Ah! a terrible retribution at length overtook that vile woman!” “ But would you believe it ?” cried Mrs. Mad- dox, as a recollection struck ber, ‘‘ Mrs. Chicklade | told me when she was lodging here a fow weeks | before her death, that she had somewhere or | anothor falion in with Lucy Maitland ” “What! at that time?” ejaculated Ormsby. “ Yes—at that timo. me where, or how, or under what circumstances she bad mot hor. VPerhaps she thought that I might interfero with some plans which she herself had conceived ——” “ And thus poor Lucy Maitland lives! That at | “and gto! day I called bore. But she would not toll : “Ab! but I think.gou said that Lucy Maitland was different P” exclaimed Ormsby. “Ob, yes! ashe would not go astray,” ejaculated Mrs. Maddox. “ Now look you, let us compare notes and see ex- actly how it was,” said Ormsby ; “ for this isa nar- rative sufficiently interesting to dwell upon. I met her that night, and she told me how she had been abandoned by her seducer, and how ber landlady had bidden her go forth into the streets and obtain money as many other women did. And I relieved her——”’ “She came home,” interjected Mrs. Maddox, “and said that she had mot avyoung man who had been her saviour, She wag-Jeeply thankful !” “She told me whee -“76 lived,” pursued Ormaby, To tell you the truth, I all events is certain !” exclaimed Ormsby. atl my doubts in reference to her story, “Or at least that she wae living about thirtoen | and I was Yetermined to see whether I had been or fourteen months ago is certain,” said Mra. Mad: | deceived or not.” dox; “because that was the time when Mrs., “If she tuld you that she was virtuous except in Chicklade tuld me so.” _Teference to him whom she loved and who had be- “ Have you livol in this house for twenty long trayed her,’ said Mrs. Maddox, “ sbe told you years P” inquired Ormsby. ‘nothing but the truth.” “Ob, no!” replied tho woman. “I haveseena: “ And that was precisely what she did tell me,” great many ups and downs—the story is too long , resumed Ormsby ; “ and when | called here——” to tell you—but during thus: twenty years ] have. ‘1 remember you, sir! I remember you well!” lived in at least fifty houres in this and other; interrupted the woman. “ I will give you a.proof noighbourboods. At last 1 got to be mistress’ uf it! You called twice on two consecutive daya— of this house. It was a strange coincidence—the , and on each occasion I opened you the door !"” very house where | first dwelt when I was se-' “ By heaven! is it possible ?” exclaimed the duced in the country and brought up tv London! nobleman. “I remember a siender, beautiful Mrs. Chicklade too, she saw rany reverses; and it girl-——” was Singular also that she should have been land-. But he stopped short, for he would not hurt the lady of the house when | first camo here as a_ feelings of even the depraved creature who sat lodger, and that after sv long a lapse of time she opposite to him. But this depraved creature was should have come to lodge with me when I got tu moved by that reference to by-gone years when she be the landlady of it!” | was young, fascinating, and beautiful; and as two “Yea — it was singular,” observed Ormsby. | tears trickled down her rouged cheeks, she said in “But now let us speak of poor Lucy Maitland; a low voice, “ Yes—that person who opened you and then we must converse on other and more the door and whom you evidently remember—it serious subjects. Ae for the money which you waa!” owe your landlord, fear not—it shall be presently. “ Well then, 1 will tell you why I called twice fortlcoming.” on Lucy Maitland,” hastily continued Ormsby. The woman expressed her gratitude for this , The first time was out of sheer curivsity to ascer- assurance; and she chuckicd inwardly at the pro- | tain whether the tale which she had told on the gress that matters wore taking, fur she saw that; preceding evening was true: and the second time with one thing and anothe: she was tulerably cer- | it was to take her au additional sum of money, for tain of clearing ‘a pretty peuny for herself, she assured me that if she could ouly get away “Yea,” said Ormsby, “let us speak of Lucy from London she should be sate from, °<a:t “arid Maitland: and then he continucd, ino sort of tempation. I confess that I did<7 place much audible musing rather than because he was con- scious that he was addressing himself to anybody, “Twenty years apo | was a wild fellow. I re- wscober one nigh€ I was ‘going to the gambling- house and I encountorcd the puor girl. She told re her tale: she had beon scduced—abe was in the way to become a mother—Bin: had been brought un to London by her betrayer ud abandoned by bya resem’ * reliance on the statement ; Jut 1 had pluuged too deep in dissipation to ent¢rtain a wholesome faith in the virtuous resolyes ;' human nature. Huow- ever, | took ber the mon/-y; and thenceforth | saw her no more. I becawnf’ involved in a vortex of exciting incidents———¢sut enough! 1 am glad te have received from -“bur lips the asaurance that mj sympathy wae ( thrown away upon an ~~ worthy objept.” & WOO <S