Agnes Vol. 2 — page 251: what you’re looking at

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

214 “that very same day Mr. Timperley called upon me!” “And then he called upon Sir John Dalham,” added Ormaby; “and thore can be no doubt that after leaving Sir John Dalham’s villa, he must have met Mrs. Chicklade in the lane and he killed her.” “And that unfortunate Winifred Barrington,” interjected Mra. De Vere, “ was therefore innocent after all. Ob, how great a criminal is the man Timporley! But we were ere now speaking, my lord, of my own circumstances. I owe you all possiblo explanations :—pray permit me to give them. Iam going back twenty years. At that time I was seduced from the paternal howe ina distant county by Lord Mendlesham. He brought me up to London and he abandoned mec. 1 was in away to become a mother. It was you who saved me—yes—you, my benefactor, who saved me from becoming a degraded and lost wanderer in the streets of London! ‘You saved me that night ——-you subsequently called upon me at the house where I dwelt—and I told you that if I had money suflicient to enable me to get back to my native place, I would throw myself at my parents’ feet, and I believed and hoped they would receive their erring daughter back to theirarms. You gave me that money. I travelled to my native place: but, nlas! my hopes were dostined to experience the bitterest disappeintment. My mother had died of grief on account of my flight from home: my father spurned mo from the door. Yces—he was implacable! No intervention on the part of friends could move him: the lctters I sent re- mained unnoticed. He never forgave mo! Al- most broken-hearted, I dragged myself eway from my native village, to hide my shame olsewhere. In another place where I was a compiete stranger I earned a precarious and scanty subsistence with my needio. At length I became a mother: my Charlos was born. I then wrote to his father, Lord Mendlesham, imploring that be would not leave his babe to perish for want along with its wretched mother. It was then that oither through compunctious feelings, or else for the purpose of hushing up the affair so that 16 might never come to the ears of his wife, his lordship agreed to allow me the income of two hundred a-year, as I ere now informed you, And then I took the name of De Vere—a name whieh had once been in my family; and I sought another place of abode. I ecttled myself in Leicestershire. There I reared my son in virtue and in goodness; and God grant that the tenour of my life for twenty years past may have atoned for my one fault !” “ Ol, yes—it must have done so!” exclaimed Ormsby, much moved: “it must have done sv! Mre. De Vere, I bear none but the most friendly feelings towards you, and you will therefore give me oredit for sincerity whon I declare that 1 am rejoiced to hear the account you have rendered me of yourself—for it proves that the one fault has in- | deed been atoned tor !” “ And, Ob, my lord!” resumed Mrs. De Vere, “in return for all the friendship which you have Gisplayed towards me, my heart has ever cherished the sincerest gratitude! I have a fow more ob- servatiuns to make. A little time ago Lord: Mendlesham procured for Charles an appvintment ag:@ Governmont office; and this circumstance | AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, compelled us to leave our rural home,in Leicester- shire and settle in the British metropolis. Acci- ‘dent led us to fix our abode at Belmont Cotter which chanced to be in the immediate vicinity of Sidney Villa. The instant I heard the name of Evelyn, and learnt that she was your daughter, I became deeply, deeply intcrested in her. I re- solved to keop my eye upon her, and to watch over ner welfare, for your sake. Yet I did not choose to court her acquaintance: I was diflident in forming an intimacy with tho daughter of the very man who had rescued me from the streets! I remembered from what a pitch of degradation you had lifted me up; and I thought to myself, ‘If by any possibility Morton Ivelyn should not be really dead, and if ho should ever como back, ho might look with indignation upon mo if he thought that I had obtruded myscif upon the notice of his pure-minded, chaste, and virtuous daughter !’—But as I have alroady told you, I conceived the utmost intorest on behalf of Anes Evelyn; and when I learnt that the Hon. ILector Hardress had accidentally become acquainted with her and purposed to call at Sydney Villa ” “Ab!” ejaculated Ormsby, “1 know what you are about bo state. You wrote Agnes a lotter of warning, and you signed it 4a Unknown Iriend.” “Yus: euch was the step that 1 tuok,” replied Mrs. De Vere. “ Agnes, when telling me all the incidents of her life,” said Ormsby, “failed not to mention this one. Jt was very kind on your part, Mrs, De Vere; and this day has shown you that Mor- ton Evelyn does live to thank you for tho interest you took in his daughter !” “Ob, but consider the illimitable obligations under which I lie towards you!” exclaimed Mrs. Do Vere; “and then speak not of thanks to me! But, Ah! what was that which poor Charles told moe just now P” “ft is with the profsundest sorrow, Mrs. Do Vere,” replied Ormsby, “that I have to repeat to you the same declaration which I ere now made to your son, Liverything is at an end between him and Agnes; and, Oh! itis indeed fortunate that you should have come to J‘lorence to look after him, for I fear that he has formed a con- nexion ” “What, my lord!” ejaculated Mrs. Do Vore, becoming palo as death; “Charles has formed an iroproper connexion? Oh, no! it is impossible! You must be labouring under some tremendous error! What! Charles do aught that is wrong? Ob, no! no! I will believe almost anything rather than that! Depend upon it, you are mis- taken !” “Tt is asad thing for me, Mrs. De Vere,” said Ormsby, “to become the means of creating any unpleasant feeling between yourself and your son —atill more unpleasant to me to stretch forth my hand and tear away from your eyes the bandage vhich has hitherto covered it in reference to the conduct of Charles. But if you preas me on the point - “Oh, for hoaven’s sake, explain yourself!” cried Mrs. De Vere. “If after our meeting to-day you bad bidden Charles cunsider that everything was at an end betwixt him and Agnes, I should have aturally considered that it was because you would not consent to bestow the hand of your EORAIC OOO S