Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 183: what you’re looking at

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

OC BD gy PRA ee ‘ - haar iy »4 » a al he truth must be told!’ rejoined Gustavus, ¢ with horror at the deed which had ummated. ‘* His death lies at my continued. ‘* His blood will be upon — “1? he lg my head !”” | _ ‘Tell everything if you will, Gustavus,” said | the quadroon: “buat remember that if a single syllable of disclosure be made in respect to the gold, everything must come out——and what ag will then be thoucht of me 2” |} “But still—but still, Wmily,” said Gus- tayus, “there are considerations beyond all others——”’ “Ah! what is that I hear ?’’ suddenly ejaculated the quadroon. ‘“‘ Nelson! Is it pos- sible °”’ ** Nelson ?’’ echoed Gustavus: and he again | looked forth from the casement. | ‘YTbhe bailud® and his companion were now bending over the corpse—for the wretched man was indeed dead; and the light of the _ | lantern was streaming fulluponhis countenance. **Yes—it is) Nelson—Mr. Thurlow’s nigger,”’ eae the bailii, in a lond voice. ‘ A pretty ras- : “Perhaps he stole the young gentleman’s | gold after all?’’ remarked the bailiff’s com- |. panion: “‘and was coming on a second expedi- tion “Nelson, do you say?” cried Mr. Pinnock, | who, clad in a dressing gown, now rushed out of | the back door of the house. | **Then you need say nothing, Gustavus!” _ | whispered the quadroon; “for the wretch has only most deservedly an! righteously met his fate.”’ “Ah!” ejaculated Gustavus, as he again | turned towards Emily: “I remember that rus- tling among the trees—the» glimpse which I fancied I caught of a form! Retire to your room, dear Hmily !—rest assured that I will say nothing that shall be calewlated to compromise ou!’ : ; A hastily snatched embrace, and the quad- roon glided away. - Gustavus, again thrusting his head from the easement, exclaimed,— ce * Have I indeed heard aright ?—is it Nelson | who is killed ?”” - y ** Yes, and no other, my boy,” replied Mr. _} Pinnock. ‘‘I am sorry you should have been so alarmed—I hope some of the women have gone to poor Emily—for the report of the pistols were suflicient-to send her off into a | swoon.”’ z *“Do not be alarmed on my account, dear | unele,”’ said the young lady, now speaking from | her own casement; “though I have indeed been | terribly frightened !”’ “Get to bed again, my dear,” ejaculated the merchant; ‘‘it is only a villain, who after all has met his righteous doom.”’ | Several domestics of the household had by | this time followed their master to the spot; and | Gustavus lost no time in transferring the box of gold back into the cupboard whence he had just _| Having secured it there, ke sped down stairs | and joined the group, to whom the bailiff | was just explaining how the affair had hap- | pened 0 | of me and my mate here to watch the | _ “You must know, Gustavus,” interrupted Mr. Pimnock, “that ever since the mysterious rob- - tes —— Kis ¢ ’ . , ‘ 7 ¢.* a ¢ rMig Re i: ; pre B38 of i: ae ; , a é r AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. _ Why, you see,’ he said, “it being the turn | tuned Gustavus. premises | 18 a naa tnt TE es tl 175 —— fancied it was very much like shutting the stable. door after the steed was stolen. But go on, Jackson.” ‘** As I was saying, sir,’’ continued the bailiff, to whom this mandate was addressed, “‘f and my mate were coming through the plantation yonder, just this side of the wooden bridge, when through the obscurity of the night we saw some one cross that bridge: and so we kept watch at a suitable distance. We traced him to the garden fence; and then we lost sight of him. So said I to my mate, ‘He’s over the fence into the garden, I'll be bound !’—And my mate said the same. Then we crept along till at last, sure enough! we saw the fellow just upon the spect where he now hes. Crack went my pistol— and, almost immediately afterwards, crack went my mate’s !’’ ** And that’s all,” added Mr. Pinnock; ‘for the result is before us! Now move the corpse to an outhouse, and let information be given to Mr. Thurlow as well as to the coroner the very first thing in the morning. Come, let’s be off to our chambers again: there cannot be the slirhtest necessity for us to lose our needful rest for the sake of a villanous wretch such as this !” The dead body was accordingly borne away to an outhouse: Mr. Pinnock, Gustavus, and. the | domestics ascended to their respective apart- ments again. But Gustavus could not sleep: the image of of the slain negro haunted him. It was not that he had any remorse, compunction, or re- geret on Nelson’s account; for it was only too evident that by some means or another the villanous negro had taken the place of the trustworthy messenger whom Mr. Hargrave had purposed to send to receive the box of gold. But still Gustavus was by nature so merci- ful and so averse to the shedding of human blood, that he could not help experiencing a certain species of superstitious awe and horror, as in the darkness of his chamber he reflected on the scene which had just occurred. Towards morning a feverish sleep came over him; and in’ that restless slumber he continued to behold the image of the slain negro. He rose at an early Hour and at once set off to Mr. Hargrave’s cottage. At the very instant that he entered the little garden in which it stood, the misanthrope was coming forth from his front door. ** What brings you hither so early ?’”’ inquired Mr. Hargrave. ‘‘ You look pale and ill. Has anything happened P—has anything gone wrong ? Did not the affair of last night vo off success. fully P” ‘“In the name of God, Mr. Hargrave,’’ ex- claimed the youth, ‘‘whom did you trust to fetch the box ?”’ ** Whom should I trust but my faithful old Sambo, who never speaks unless he is spoken to, — and who has no more idea of idle gossiping than a child of a twelyemonth old? But what has happened ?”’ ** Sambo ‘never came,’ *“some one else came in his stead ‘What! Sambo idle or treacherous!’ claimed Mr. Hargrave. “Ah! that remains to he discovered,’ re- ‘** ut he who came in his > responded Gustavus ; >? ex- stead was Nelson.’’ ‘* Nelson P”’ ejaculated the misanthrope in dis. may. ‘‘And you gave him the gold ?”’ . * Accursed gold!’’ cried the youth vehe- bery of your gold I haye ordered the premises to | mently: ‘“‘if has produced nothing hut per-. be watched—though certainly until to-night I’ plexity, vexation, double dealing, and horror COMMclooolkxs COU