Agnes Vol. 2 — page 228: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES; OR, BRAUTY AND PLEASURR, Gustavus; /it is your mouth that is polluted with the falecpefhd you are uttering !” “Falsehood ?” echoed the quadroon, her eyes now flashing forth the fiercest fires. “ Lou dare tell me that I lie, Gustavus? Was not her dis- honoured condition visible enough P did we not acouse her of it ? did she deny it ? wae she not overwhelmed with the charge? and was she not called Mise Barrington at her lodgings ?” “ Kverything is now accounted for!” eried Gus- tavus. “She was wedded to a Dalham—and she dared not tell the seoret! Oh, my God! how wea wronged her! Poor girl, poor girl! what must she have suffered !’’ The red blood mantled vividly through the transparent duskiness of the quadroon’s counte- nance; and that indignant blush descended on her neck, and even spread over her bosom which was ewelling like the billows of a tumultuous sea ae she eat up in the couch darting lightning looks upon her husband. “What ! you dare speak of her tendorly in my presence ?” ahe exclaimed: “ you are bold enough thus to outrage and insult m-:.2” “It is you who have outraged and jnsut{ed my pure and virtuous cousin!” exclaimed Gustavus fiercely. “Oh! I care not for you now; 1 defy you! Your looke will not kill; aud win those white teoth of yours you dare not bite! I re- peat that I defy you! ear me, then, speak of Winifred! Yes -—~ she whom you despised and ecorned, is now a titled lady—she is a baronet’s wife—and it is as the honoured and respeoted— aye, and the beloved Lady Dalham that she must now be spoken of !”’ ‘* Beloved P” echoed the quadroon, looking like a panther that was about to spring forth upon its rey, Pe Beloved by all who can appreciate virtue and roodnoss,” rejuined Gustavus: and then, after a moment's hesitation, he added, “ For any one who loves not Wiuilred must indeed possess a soul strangely warped by envy, jealousy, or other ab- burrent passions,” “Do you moan this for me, Gustavus P” de- manded the quadroon. “Tf the cap fits you, wear it,” he replied with an air of ould scorn and defiance. “ But I have other intelligence for you. Your fatheor—as your father you know him to be, since I have told you that he is mure than your uncle—your father, I say, is ill—dying—perhaps dead~and you must hasten to Jamaica !” “ Yes—with you,” interjected Emily. “With mo?” and Gustavus laughed scornfully. “Nov, no! I have bad enough of your Jamaica !” “Wretch!” cried the quadroun, he eyes again ashing fre; “ is it remorse that renders Jamaica terrible to ycu P—is it not the scene of the black attempt you made to raurder your own wife? Did you not burl me from the cliffa? Ah! you thought that you had killed me then! Yes—and your horrible purpose would have been saccum- plished, had vot the prjecting branches broken my fall, and I fell into shallow water !’’ ‘*Tia false that I tried to kill you !” vociferated Gustavus, stamping bis foot violently. “ I pushed you from me because I joathed you!—you reeled to the edge of the precipice—and as God is my judge, I sprang forward to sav) you! And, Ob! 221 if we are to bandy accusations, let me enter upo! the long catalogue of my charges against you Think of the document you stole and hid, ant which kept my poor grandsire in gaol for month and months when he might have been free Think of your kidnapping me when 1 slept, and putting me on board a ship and taking me back to Jamaica! Thiok of the life you have led me for weeks past! It is you that have made ma a drunkard! Ob, you are a terrible woman! Lucifer himself has seemed to look out of your eyes when you have overwhelmed me with throats: but Syrens have given their blandishmentsa to your glances, your smiles, and your toyings, when you have sought tu subdue me into a melting sensuousness |” While Gustavus was thus epeaking, the qua- droon exhibited the most violent emotions: ber entiro form writhed and oonvulsed as if it were that of a panther experiencing some fierce rage ere springing upon ite prey: her oyes vibrated like sinister stars—and her fingers kept agitating with a nervous movement, the naila each time making deep indentations into the palms of her hands. <All of a sudden—indeod the very mo- ment when Gustavus ceased—she sprang from the couch—nvt heavily, nor jumping down with a force that shook the room —but lightly and almost noiselessly as if her feet wore of velvet; and she confronted ber husband. “ Do you mean,” she aeked, “that there is to bo war between us P—for if so, you will have a terrible enemy to deal with, and the love which has been so fervid can only turn into an equal extreme of hatrod !” She had used the word terrible; and terrible she certainly looked at that mument. Her large oyes, dark as jot, seemed to be full of a concen- trated fire; her brilliant teeth beamed betwixt tho parted lips: and the bosom waa uphoaved with the fierce suspense wherewith she awaited hor husband’s anewer. For a moment he trembled. Intemperance had attenuated his min too much to permit him to recover its atrength allin an instant; and the vaguely horrible idea struck him, to the effect that this woman alike sv beau- tiful and so terrible, was different from othor women, and far more potent for misohier. Tho quadroon observed that quailing on the part of Gustavus; and she experienced a sudden glow of triumph. “You will not have war,” she cried, “because you dare not have it! You know me tu well, Gustavus! If you choose to go to Kngland, | will go with you. If you wish me to go to Jamaica, you shall come with me. These are my resolves. And now, if thero is to be peace, let us embrace |” “ Peace ?” ejaculated Barrington, his mind sud- denly regaining ite strength: “peace?” he re- peated ecornfully. “ What! when you have just made known your resulves as if you were an empress dictating unto the veriest of your slaves! No, by heaven! there shall not be peace between us simply when you chouse tv confmand it! IJ am your husband—and th:refore youk master!” “My master?” cried the quadruon: and never did a more bitter expressiun of scorn thrill through the tones of a more musical voice. “ My master?” she repeated ; aud ber form wae drawo COMmclaOoO G .S CO