Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 171: what you’re looking at

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

a.” ~- AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. me with the hope of doing so much good in Eng. land and infusing such happiness into the hearts of my aged grandsire and my cousin Winifred ! Now that hope is destroyed—and I will endea- vour to banish from my mind the fact that it ever existed. My voyage to England is abandoned—it would be purposeless now—and I remain here, to think only of love and my adored Emily!” A thrill of exultation and happiness swept like a galvanic shock through the entire form of the beautiful quadroon; and of her own accord she upturned her countenance towards that of Gus- tavus that he might imprint a caress upon her lips. Joy was dancing in her luminous eyes—her bosom was throbbing with a kindred sentiment. As for Gustavus himself,—intoxicated with the bliss of those feelings with which the presence and the contact of the beauteous quadroon inspired him, he forgot his lost treasure—he forgot his grandsire and Winifred — he thought only of the present happiness which was within his reach. The lovers gained the house ; and they sat down to breakfast. They lingered over the repast, be- cause there was so much joy in being thus together ; for though there had been no real quarrel betwixt them, yet they felt as if they were experiencing all the sweetness of a recon- ciliation. Mr. Pinnock presently made his ap- pearance; and Gustavus rose to greet him with all that frankness and gaiety of temper which he had been wont to display until the last two or three days. ** Well, my dear boy,” said the worthy planter, “you are beginning to recover from the effect of the severe blow you received? It was a great calamity truly: but the youthful mind should never give way to despondency as you have yielded.” “ Forgive me, my dear sir,” said Gustavus, pressing Mr. Pinnock’s hands; “for 1 am now myself again. I am afraid that I have behaved rudely, churlishly, and ungratefully, in wandering away from the house, or in keeping my own cham- ber, when I ought to have been thankfully availing myself of the hospitalities of your dwelling a Say not another word upon the subject !” ejaculated Mr. Pinnock. ‘ Why, where is Emily running to now? She quits the room at the very moment our conversation is growing interesting! Ah! perhaps she thinks it is about to take a more serious turn, and that you and I may have some- thing to discuss. Weli,so we have.” Thus speaking, Mr. Pinnock sat down to the breakfast-table; and while heaping viands on his plate, he went on discoursing. * T have already hinted to you, my dear boy, that if you like to remain with me altogether, L ean render your services available in superintend- ing the plantation, so that not for a single in- stant need you with any false pride or fastidious delicacy fancy that you are eating the bread of dependence. You love Emily—and shea loves you. You have now no need to rush across the Atlantic and separate from her,—though at the same time, if you wish to go and see your relatives before you settle down in Jamaica, I have told you that I will be your banker for all expenses.” “ A thousand thanks, my dear sir!” oxclaimed 168 Ob, yes! totally aban- the idea of that voyage doned it !” ‘ “ Very well, then,” continued Mr. Pinnock: “ you will remain with us; and in as short a time as is consistent with prudence, delicacy, and pro- priety, you may lead Emily to the altar. Now then, no thanks! [I know you are a grateful young fellow—I have conceived an affection for you—and that is enough!” Having thus spoken, Mr. Pinnock rose from the table, pressed the youth’s hand warmly, and hurried from the room; for the chaise was at the door to bear him into Kingston. Gustavus soon rejoined Emily, who was waiting for him in the garden; and he told her everything which had just taken place between himself and Mr, Pin- nock. His entire appearance—his manner, the animation of his countenance, the tone in which he spoke—all denoted the liveliest joy ; so that the beautiful quadroon now seemed completely happy once more, In the middle of the day, when the heat of the sun was most sultry, Emily remained in the house, in order to attend to certain domestic duties ; and Gustavus sauntered towards the sea-shore. He was fond of looking upon that element on which he had voyaged in the Catherine Millard; and not- withstanding that his voyage had experienced so calamitous a termination—notwithstanding like- wise that with his present plans and prospects it was little likely that a seafaring life would eve again become his profession—yet did he still retain much of that interest in respect to the ocean which had in the first instance tempted him to embark upon it. Seeking a secluded and shady spot upon the sea-shore, Gustavus threw himself down upon the strand to contemplate the expanse of waters; and from the image of Ewily his thoughts travelled across that ocean to the rela- tives whom he had left in England. He could not help again sighing on account of the loss of that fortune which would have enabled him to ad- minister so materially to the comforts of his grand- father and of Winifred: but the more he reliected upon the sudden disappearauce of his treasure, the more mysterious did it seem. While engaged in these meditations, he heard footsteps approaching ; and looking round, he be- held Mr. Hargrave. He had not seen the misan- thrope for some days—indeed not since the occa- sion when he expressed his gratitude tor that eccentric individual’s intervention on his behalf with the Governor of Jamaica. He now started up to his feet, and pressed with grateful fervour the hand which he at once seized upon, and which for a few moments was abandoned fo his clasp. “ Thave heard of your misfortune, young man,” said Mr. Hargrave: “but it was only this morn- ing that I learnt it. I have been indisposed, and have scarcely crossed the threshold of my own dwelling. There [ hear nothing: for the old negro who attends upon me, never opens his lips unless I first speak to him; and as a general rule I care too little to hear the sound of the human voice to give encouragement to discourse. Ah! there is an exception however : tor I take delight in listening to the prattle of children, because my mind feels satished with the certainty that there Gustavus; “but I have now totally abandoned ; is no guile in their joyous gossip.” OOP POO Oe a ee a ae Pe Om CoOMmiclooolkks Om