Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 126: what you’re looking at

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

118 “JT have shown you many objects of interest which, as artists would say, belong to nature or to still life,” answered Mr. Pinnock: “ but now you have just seen a human peculiarity.” * You called him Mr. Hargrave, I think?” said young Barrington. “Yes—that is the name by which he is known in these parts,” replied the merchant; “ though I am sure I cannot tell you how it was ever dis- covered—for he never opens his lips to speak to a soul. Ah! perhaps when he took the little cottage yonder, he must have given a name to the owner? Of course he must !—tbat is how it transpired. . It never struck me before!’”"—and the worthy mer- chant looked as if he were highly pleased at the discovery he had just made. “But who is Mr. Hargrave?” inquired Bar- rington, becoming interested; for it was evident there was some degree of mystery attached to that individual. “To speak positively,” rejoined Mr. Pinnock, “no one knows for certain: but if I may hazard a conjecture, he is some poor crack-brained gentle- man whose reason has been unsettled by misfor- tunes—I will not be so uncharitable as to suggest the probability of crimes.” ** How long has he been living in this neigh- bourhood P” asked Gustavus, “Some two or three years,” was the merchant's response. “I think I have heard he came from New Orleans: but I scarcely take him to be a Yankee by birth—though I’m sure I know not why I should say so. Our intercourse has never extended any further than the slight exchange of civilities which you have just seen pass between us ” “Or rather, I should say,” interrupted Gus: tavus, “a civility on your part and an uncouth curtness on his.” “Well, well, it may be so,” said the good- natured merchant: “but as he is unmistakably wrong in the upper storey, we must make allow- ances for him. He is a strange being. No one seems to know how he lives; for according to all report he never receives any remittances through any agent in Kingston—and yet from all I kear, he honourably pays his way and owes no one a shilling. But then his expenses are trivial enough : they are next to nothing; for he lives by himself in a hermit-like fashion—with an old deaf and dumb nigger, who inhabits a neighbouring hut, to do what 3 requisite in the shape of his household affairs,” “You are describing to mea singular character,” observed Gustavus. “Yes—but I ought to add,” said Mr. Pinnock, “that he evidently possesses good traits—for he is remarkably fond of children, He distributes pence amengst them—he will watch them at their sports —but he never speaks to them. They themselves are afraid of him, notwithstanding his kindness: for the folly of parents amongst the ignorant orders, you know, often makes a bogie of any in- dividual of peculiar and eccentric habits, and whom people in reality know nothing at all about. But here we are at home” Gustavus had been so absorbed in the interest of this couversation that he had not noticed how near they had been drawing towards Mount Pleasant. They now alighted ; and young Bar- AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, ! rington hastened up to his chamber to make some change in his toilet for the dinner-table—and fer which purpose he had now the means, inasmuch as the articles he had purchased at Kingston had been sent home, —_— CHAPTER XXIL EMILY PINNOCK. On repairing to the dining-room, Gustayus Bare rington found Mr. Pinnock impatient to sit down to the repast which was spread upon the table,— while his niece Emily was bending over some plants that were placed on an ornamental stand in one of the open casements. Her back was towards the youth as he crossed the threshold: but again was he struck by the admirable symmetry of her shape and the perfect modelling of her feet and ankles. “Come, my dear Mr. Barrington!” exclaimed the merchant: “I am sure you must have a good appetite—unless indeed you lunched in Kingstonf By the bye, Emily was there for an hour or two, engaged in shopping; and I wonder you did not meet.” At this moment Miss Pinnock turned away from the window; and as Gustavus had not me¢ her in the morning at the breakfast-table, he was hastening to pay his respeets to her, when he now for the first time within the walls of that dwelling caught a complete view of her countenance. For an instant he stopped short in amazement,—his heart at the same time being seized with a sudden palpitation, produced by the blending influences of joy and uncertainty: then he looked again—and there was no longer 2 doubt in his mind; for the countenance which he was now contemplating with rapture was the same which he had beheld through the tradesman’s shop-window in King. ston. It was weil for him that Mr. Pinnock was al- ready settling himself at the dinner-table, or he could not have failed to observe the various emo- tions which his youthful guest thus displayed. But Miss Pinnock did perceive them; and her large luminous black eyes were fixed upon Gustavus for an instant, ere with her habitual bashfulness she turned away and glided towards her seat. Young Barrington now recovered his self-possession: but his heart continued to palpitate, and almost to leap within him, at the circumstance which had just so strangely revealed itself. For, after all, his dream was an utter delusion! Instead of the flat nose and the coarse thick lips which the image of his vision had presented to his view, he beheld a faultless profile, delicately aquiline—the lips ex- quisitely formed, and of the richest redness. In- stead of cheeks marked and seared with the ravages of the small-pox, he bebeld a skin that seemed to be of velvet softness, and through the - duskiness of which the warm blood mantled in blushes. Finally, instead of a set of loatksomely decayed teeth, he beheld two rows of polished ivory,—teeth indeed that were of perfect beauty, well-shaped, and faultlessly even. Yes—this was Emily Pinnock, who with that handsome counte- nance and that beautiful figure constituted the Comichdooks