Agnes Vol. 2 — page 242: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES; OB, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. 236 at which one he was stopping, or whether indeed he was still tarrying in Florence at all;—and tho landlord answered me that the last time he Lad seon Mr. Do Vere was when the Barringtons were at the establishment; and then, on a second thought, he said that Mr. De Vere had subse- quently called upon you.” “Yos—-I think he did—most likely he did,” said Cicely: and she looked slightly confused, ‘JT believe, Mre. Hardress,” continued Lord Ormsby, “that Charles Do Vere is an admirable young man—well-principled—right-minded—and high-spirited ? You are aware that he is engaged to our mutual friend Agnes ?” “The young lady in whom you are so deeply interested,” said Cicely, in a musing tone; for she was revolving in her mind an idea which had just struck her. “Ob, yes!” exolaimed Ormsby; “I am indeed interested in Agnes Evelyn !—so deeply interested that notwithstanding all the good accounts I have heard of young De Vere, I could not think of sanctioning his suit in respect to Agnes———T mean I could not as Mies Evelyn's friend cognte- nance if, unless by personal inquiries and re- searches I should have obtained the complotest sorroboration of all the eulogies which have thus rcached my ears.” . “ Does Da Vere know you?” asked Cfeely. * “ Ho hus never seen me,” replied Lord Ormsby. * Ho has heard of we, just in the same way as you havo done, through the medium of Agnes. But he is not aware that I am at all interested in Agnes: he is even ignorant that [ am acquainted “Impossible, Mrs. Hardress !” ejaculated Ormsby. “No one could conceive such an ab- surdity. I beseech you to be candid with me !” “If the communication be considered confiden- tial,” resumed Cicoly, “I can have no objection ———~- indeed, ae you have said, for the sake of my dear friend it becomes a veritable duty; gnd thorefore, Mr. Hargrave, relying upon your hopour as a gentleman not to compromise me in any way, I will tell you what I know. It is all vonnected with those Barrringtons——” “ah!” ejaculated Ormsby: “to tell you tho truth I did not like the agpect of the affair when T heard ere now from the landlord’ of this hotel that Gustayus Barrington left his wife in the night-time, and that the very next morning Charles De Vere came gnd took her away. Was this really so?” “It was actually so,” responded Mre. Hardress. “There was a terrible scene betwixt Gustavus Barrington and his quadroon wife; and if it had not been for my timely intervention, murder would have been committed. The young man left his wife at once, and at an early hour in the morning Mrs. Barrington entreated me to send and fetch Mr. De Vere. I did s0,—thinking that it was to a friend that the quadroon was about to appeal, and little dreaming that if was a paramour whom in her desperation she wae invoking !” * Good heavons! poor Agnes!” murmured Lord Ormsby. “ And De Vere came at once ?” * He lost not a moment,” pursued Cicely : “he was here instantanoously; and I regret to add, Mr. Hargrave, that it was in the most shameless with her: for to tell you the truth, Mra, Hardressp| manner he took the quadroon away with him. [| bade Agnes abstain from mentioning the sub- jeot in the laat letter which she wrote to Charles : yeoause ” “T understand you, Mr. Hargrave !” exclaimed Cicely : “it was because you intended to prosecute your inquirics into Charles De Vere’s character ‘ecretly and privately, before you should suffer 1im to Jearn that you werg at all interested in the natter,”’ “ Precisely so,” answered Ormsby. “ Therofore rou will oblige me by nut mentioning to Mr. De Vere, if he should again call upon you——” ‘ He will not again call upon me, Mr. Har- yrave, said Cicely, with a tone and look which ihowed that there was a deep meaning in her words ; for her mind was now fully made yp how he should act in respect to the idea which had ere now struck her. “ He will not call here again?” said Lord Jrmsby, catching at the lady's words. “No, sir. I should think not—and I should iope not,”’ she replied, with a significant om- rhasis. ‘Mrs. Hardrese,” said Lord Ormaby, “ if you tnow anything in refereuco to Charles De Vere, I Skeech that you will not concaul it from me! By your friendship for Agnes I adjure you to be vandid and explicit!” “One word, Mr. Hargrave |” sgjid Cicely. “ Some ime ago my husband fought a duel with Charles De Vere-——it was however before he was my yusband still if I said anything against Mr. De Vere, it might possibly be thought that it was 1 apecies of vengeance I was wreaking on Hector’s sohatt ° Yes--leaving the man-servant behind to pack up his master’s effects : ‘Good God!” ejaculated Ormsby, deeply affected, “that a young man of whom I was in- clined to think so highly, should prove so profli- gate and unprincipled !—Ah,” he mentally added, ‘it is sufficient to plunge me back again into that cynicism which made me mistrust all human nature !’ “And then, would you beliove it, Mr. Har- grave P” continued Cicely, inwardly wsejoicing at the signal revonge she was thus wreaking upon De Vere—* would you beweve it? the depraved young man dared to call upon me tho very day after he had taken another's wife under his protection ! And it was not until then that I beeame fully aware of his great iniquity: but when the dis- course naturally turned upon the affair of the Bar- ripgtons, he gave vent to oxpressions which smote me with the conviction that he was the author of the entire mischief.” ‘There is consequently no possibility of error or misconception?’ said Ormsby in a sorrowful tone. . } ‘Alas, no, Mr Hargrave !” replied Cicely: “the case is only too transparent. Indeed, Charles De Vere—while admitting the other day in my presence that jealousy on the part of Gustavus was the origin of the quarrel—expressod his own bitter regret that he himeelf had got involved in such a dilemma,” “A dilemma indeed!” ejaculated Ormsby. Ob! this isa sad tale for mo to bear to Agnes Evelyn! Do you know whether Gustavus Bar- riagton has gone to England?” @ EOMRNIC OOOKS