Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES: OB, BEAUTY AND PLEASUEE. pooks, which were handy there for the clerks who | sat on either side. Of these underlings there, were three—a chief clerk, a copying clerk, and an out-door clerk. The first was an elderly man, rejoicing in tho name of Timperley, and who in personal appear- ance was not very much unlike his master— except that instead of having merely a sharp, shrewd, and business-like expression of counte- mance, he had a sinister one. It was from be- neath his shaggy overhanging brows that he looked at any one with whom he was conversing : but even this look was askance—and it was always furtively withdrawn if such person happened to gaze iftently upon Mr. Timperley himself. It was whispered that he had once been an attorney in good practice—but that either having been struck off the rolls for some misdeed, or through having dwindled down into a poverty that pre- vented him from taking out a certificate, he was compelled to accept the post of clerk in the office of Mr. Waldron. The out-door clerk was the best-dressed of the three; and had a certain dashing air of gentility about him; so that what with his gold chain, his well-polished boots, and the new coat which, when in-doors, he kept carefully folded up in his desk, he was a very respectable representative of the esta- blishment of Joshua Waldron when attending in the Nisi Prius Courts, or occasionally when lunch- ing with a bankrupt whom he was taking through the Court in Basinghall Street. As for the copying clerk, he wasa middle-aged man in a suit of seedy black, and a dingy white neckcloth with limp ends; so that he might be mistaken for a decayed methodist parson. He had-a very large family; and as he was very often drunk, his wife—a poor sickly woman, in ascanty shawl, and generally with a child in her arms—might of a Saturday evening be seen hanging about in the neighbourhood of the office, to intercept her husband and his salary, lest he should slip off to the Brown Boar and expend three parts of his earnings. Such were the components of Mr. Waldron’s front office: but his own private room was fitted up in a style where the handsome and the business- like might seem to blend. Thus the substantial ehairs of Russia leather were encumbered with papers: numerous documents, apparently having fallen by accident from the writing-table, were strown upon the rich carpet: the giass doors of the book-case, containing a splendid law-library, were for the most part swinging negligently open; and there was such a pile of correspondence in front of the attorney himself, that an innocent-minded visitor would be lost in wonderment how he could ever find time to get through it. Punctually at five minutes to ten Mr. Waldron arrived at his office: and punctually at ten o’clock Morton Evelyn made his appearance. To his in- guiry in the clerks’ room whether Mr. Waldron were within, he received an affirmative reply from Mr. Timperley, who ushered him into the inner office, Mr, Waldron now assumed a more reserved and business-like air than he had worn on the pre- vious night when caught in the act of issuing from the vaults of the suburban church; and without proffering his hand, he made a motion for his visitor to be seated. “Let me see, Mr. Frelyn?” he said, lying back | father’s father was,” responded Morton, 7 in his own chair, with his pen behind his right ear and his thumbs caught in the arm-holes of his waistcoat: “I think that when voa and I met before—I do not allude to lass night, you know = *T will explain exactly how it was, sir,” inter- rupted Morton, but with a certain air of deference and respect towards one who he believed might possibly become the arbiter of his destinies, “It was about a year ago—I received a letter from you requesting me torall, as you fancied that you had a clue to some business which would be to my advantage. I came accordingly. You asked mo who my father was, and who my grandfather. I told you. You then questioned me concerning the relatives or progenitors of my grandfather: but I was unable to give you any information on those points.” ** And why were you thus unable?” asked Mr. Waldron. “I explained the reasons at the time, sir,” re- sponded Evelyn. “My father was a Liverpoot merchant; and in that town he died when I ways only twelve years of age. My mother had been dead since my childhood: my paternal grandfather died before I was born. Thus you see, sir, that I was left an orphan at too early an age to hare heard much about the family to which I belong d —or at least to haye remembered whatsoever I might have heard. At my father’s death I was sent to school in the neighbourhood of Londca; and thence to college till I came of age. One of my guardians died before I had attained ny majority—the other shortly afterwards. I do not know of a single relative that I possess in the whole world ; and thus you see, sir, the informa- tion I was enabled to give you in respect to my family when you sent for me a twelvemonth ago, was of a sufficiently mespre description.” “ Have you any armorial bearings accom yf anied by a pedigree P” inquired Mr. Waldron. “To speak the truth,” responded Morton Evelyn, “I have not. My family was sirtply a mercantile one——” “And what did I say to you at the tine you called upon me a twelvemonth back P” der ianded Mr. Waldron, who listened with an insc tutable expression of countenance to all that his visitor was telling him. “You gave me to understand, sir,” replied Morton Evelyn, who was now upon the tonter- hooks of suspense, “that you had a clue to a con- siderable fortune—and even to something besides —but which you did not specify is “Go on,” said Mr, Waldron curtly. “You proceeded td intimate,” continued Mor- ton, “that all these advantages rightfully belonged to some family bearing the name of Evelyn—that you had expended thousands and wasted whole years in the search after the lawful heir a “ But what did I say to you in respect to your own chances?” demanded Mr. Waldron. “The fact is, I have seen so many Evelyns upon the subject, that unless you assist me with explana- tions of what oecurred in your own particular case, I shall be jumbling and confounding matters —though my head igs generally pretty clear on most occasions.” “You bade me, sir, ascertain who my grand- “T went Eo lNOOKS CO