Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 154: what you’re looking at

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

—_ —-— 146 endeavoured to shake off this inclination to slum- ber; and Cicely again pointed out some object of interest in the distance, Hector turned to look at it; and again were the contents of Miss Neale’s glass tossed from the window. Again too after a little while, Cicely’s-fair hand presented a bumper to Hardress: and he, with an effort against his increasing drowsiness, drank off the wine. Soon afterwards his eyelids felt as if they were being weighed down; and he said, “‘I am afraid, Cicely, I have taken too much wine—or else it must be these cigars—they are uncommonly strong —travelling too always makes me sleepy A “Then why should you not sleep?” ejaculated the amiable Miss Neale. ‘‘Come! take this seat next to me —pillow your head on my shoulder —and I will watch over you. You know,” she added gaily, “I must study how to play the part of an affectionate wife, the better to deceive the dear old aunt at York.” Hector—who now felt himself totally incapable of struggling against the increasing sense of drow- siness— placed himself next to Cicely, and pillowed his head upon her bosom. She threw her arm around him, and began to hum a tune as if she were rocking a child to sleep. “This is delicious!” murmured Hector, in a low languid yoice: and in a few minutes he slept profoundly. : Several hours passed—during which many little incidents occurred, in which Cicely and Luke Cor- bet were the principal actors; while Hector Hard- ress continued in a state of profound unconsci- ousness. Four or five times during the lapse of these hours, more of the drugged wine was poured down his throat, so as to retain him in that state of stupefaction—Cicely being careful, however, not to administer an excessive dose. When Hector began slowly to awaken from the long trance into which he had been plunged, he strove to collect his ideas. But his head ached fearfully, and his thoughts were all in confusion. At length he became aware that he was in bed— that he was not alone—and that a light was burn- ing in the room. It was a strange room—he had never been there before. Vague and jumbled re- collections of railway travelling—Miss Neale— Port-wine and cigars, began arising in his mind: but he thought that he must be dreaming—until contemplating the countenance of his companion, who appeared to sleep, he recognised Cicely. Then he pressed his hand to his brow, and began to reflect more deliberately, until he so settled all his ideas that he remembered everything that had taken place down to the period when he fell asleep with his head reposing on Cicely’s bosom. But not for a single instant did he suspect that any treachery had been played upon him, or that the wine was drugged. And now, as he again turned his looks towards Cicely Neale, her large blue eyes opened—her full red lips parted with a gay smile; and throwing her arms round his neck, she said, “ Why, my dear Hector, the cigars and the wine did indeed produce an effect upon you! You were quite tipsy—unless it were +4 “gad ! I must haye been so!” he ejaculated. “But where are we?” “ Where should we be but at York?” responded eee tie nn ae ee ee rene ee nr em 8 te oe AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, * Cicely. “Did you not say that we were to put up at the best hotel and engage the handsomest apart- ments P” “To be sure! all right!” ejaculated Hardress * But what o’clock is it?” Cicely at once took her watch from beneath the pillow ; and though the hands indicated three o'clock in the morning, she said quietly and col- leetedly, “ It is just half-past eleven.” The fact was that they had not been at the hotel for more than about three hours: but it did not suit her purpose to let Hardress know how late they had arrived there.” “* Half-past eleven!” he exclaimed. how long have we been in bed P” “ You, my dear Hector, were put to bed the moment you were brought into the house,” re- plied Cicely : “but I did not retire till ten o’clock, I did all I could to awake you—as did Luke likewise : but we could not possibly succeed.” “This is extraordinary !” said Hardress. “I never slept so before. I have a dreadful pain in the head y ? “‘ Now, don’t be alarmed, Hector,” said Cicely : “but I do verily believe that you had a rush of blood to the head; for while you were sleeping in the train, your countenance was so flushed—you breathed so heavily—and when we anrived at York, it was impossible, as I have already said, for Luke and me to arouse you. But you are better now ?” “Well, I don’t know. I am awake—and that’s all that can be said. My head aches frightfully —my tongue is parched—I would give the world for some soda-water !” “Just what I foresaw!” ejaculated Cicely, as she leapt out of bed. ‘“‘I ordered some to be placed in the room.” “ How kind of you!” said Hardress: and tho next moment he received a tumbler of the re- freshing beverage from the fair hand of Miss Neale. “What the deuce will the people of the house think ?” he continued, as he gave her back the glass. ‘They of course supposed that I was dead drunk; and here is a pretty beginning for this old aunt of your’s! If it gets to her ears, she will form a nice estimate of my character !” “All this I have taken care of,” replied Cicely, as she returned to her place in the couch; “and Luke was duly tutored by me. I represented that you had been seized with a fit : “* Admirable Cicely !” cried Hardress. “It was the best thing you could do. But what a ready invention you possess !” , ‘“"Yes—a very ready one,” she said, laughing : but there was a hidden meaning in her words. “You must keep your chamber all day to-mor- row; and I will not communicate with my aunt until the day after. Jf she do not learn when we arrived, we need offer no excuse for the delay in paying our respects to her: but if she skowld find it out, we need only repeat the same story which I have told the servants of the hotel—and we may throw in a little pathos about the delicate state of your health—the excitement of travelling—and so forth.” “True!” said Hardress: “and as for keeping my chamber, I really think that I shall be com- pelled to do so; for I feel downright ill.” “Tt must have been a flow of blood to the « Then | COMMicooolK<s