Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 190: what you’re looking at

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

TT He etiam 182 cofting the entrance-lobby of the prison; for Winifred did not like to penetrate at once into the gaol, where she knew that she should be an object of marked curiosity. Therefore to the room adjoining the lobby was the old man sammoned from the infirmary; and there the grandfather and granddaughter were folded in each other's arms. Both wept copiously. There was a childishness in the old man’s weeping, in his broken speech, and in his: entire manner; and Winifred sobbed so convulsively that it seemed as if her heart were about to burst with a sense of calamity rather than as if it were throbbing with joy at being re- stored to the arms of the old man whom she loved so tenderly. “T knew all along how it would end, my dear girl,” said the old man, in a whimpering tone: “I knew that you were innocent, and that they would not dare condemn you. But tell me all about it, my sweet Winnie.” “ Another time, my dedr grandfather,” she hastily replied: “let us now speak of yourself. You have been very ill—but you have wanted for nothing. Mrs. Slater has assured me that this was the case; and she told me truly—did she not ?”’ “Yes, yes, Winnie—I had everything I desired : but that was of no consequence, for I could not be happy as long as I knew that you were in that dreadful place. Ab, my dear Winnie! I have met with a great deal of sympathy. Mrs. Slater has been very kind to me, and has brought me all kinds of nice things. And that young lady too wkom you worked for e “ Miss Evelyn,” said Winifred. ‘“ Yes—Mrs. Slater told me that Miss Evelyn had sent you several little presents 7 “And then, regularly every Saturday evening,” continued the old man, “two guineas were for- warded to me, enclosed in an envelope, and eyvi- dently directed in a feigned hand. I can’t think from whom the money came = “Tt was some kind friend, dear grandfather, who chose to remain unknown,” said Winifred, a slight flush passing across her countenance ; for she doubtless knew, or at least suspected who was the author of that anonymously bestowed bounty. “And now tell me,” she continued, anxious to keep her grandfather’s attention diverted from the circumstances of her trial and acquittal,—‘*‘ tell me how gets on the lawsuit? Do you still em- ploy Mr. Timperley ?” “Yesa—oh, yes,’ responded tld Barrington: “for Timperley has never seemed so sanguine of success as during the last month. Still I think that he might have drawn the affidavits stronger —and there were several points which I had to make him amend: but I think, after all, he is a very worthy man—he expressed so much sympathy on your account, and said how sorry he was the case had been taken out of his hands, By the bye, Winifred, how did that happen? I never could rightly understand it:—and who was it that in- structed Mr. Wardour to appear for you?” “Now pray do me a favour, my dear grand- father,” said Winnie; “and do not let us talk or think any more of the dreadful past: let us rejoice in the present, and hope for the future. 1 am again in my old lodging at worthy Mrs. Slater’s— AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. This interview took place in a room ad-|I am sure I shall not want for friends—I shall ml ee ee en tain as much work as I can possibly accomplish— 2 YY that dear kind Miss Evelyn will be certain to as- | sist me—and everything will therefore go on just — the same as before those terrible things happened to me. I shall come and see you every days and on the Sunday I shall pass the entire afternoon with you—and you must endeavour to make your- self happy, and not say another word about the misfortunes that I have gone through.” “ Well, well, Winnie,” said the old man, “I will do everything you tell me. It really seemed as if heaven itself had deserted us all at one time: for poor Gustavus was shipwrecked a *“ Oh, how I wept when I read bis letter!” said Winifred, the tears now again gushing from her eyes. “ But what a strange coincidence! Almost at the very time that I was arrested on that ter- rible accusatien, was poor Gus enduring all the horfors of shipwreck! The 5th of October for me! —the 6th of October for him !” **But he has fallen in with a kind friend,” in- terjected the old man: “that Mr. Pinnock of whom he writes, seems to have been as good as a father to him.” “Poor Gustavus!” murmured Winifred: and then she added in a blither tone, “ We shall doubt- less see him shortly; and then what happiness and joy for us all! Ob, I shudder—I feel horrified at the thought that he will read of all this——Yes, by this time he must know it—and therefore his own feelings But, ah! 1 was wrong to revert to painful topics after I had so earnestly entreated that you yourself would abstain from them!” “Yes, yes, my dear child—we must endeavour to be happy,” said the old man; “and we will not talk of the past. God is good to us after all. The life of our dear Gus was saved—your innocence is proved—and this Term will very likely see the successful issue of our tedious lawsuit.” The conversation between the old man and Winifred was long; but the greater portion of it was interesting only to themselves. Mr. Bar- rington expressed his intention of leaving the in- firmary and descending to his ward, so that he might again be amongst his old companions— though he proclaimed his conviction that it would be for no very lengthened period that he should now have to remain in prison, inasmuch as the present Term could not possibly fail to see the issue of his lawsuit. When Winifred took her departure, she has- tened to obtain a copy of the Times, which was the newspaper that her grandfather habitually read; and she returned to her lodgings to peruse the account of her trial. She was re- joicea on finding that the name of Dalham was not mentioned as that of one of the jurymen; and indeed nothing was said to lead to the sup- position that there had been any special mo- tive at work to influence the jury in their final decision. Winifred had scareely terminated ‘the perusal of the report, when the servant of the lodgiag- house entered her room to announce that @ gentleman desired an interview with Miss Bar- rington. Winifred conjectured who the gentle- man was; and she lost no time in descending to Mrs. Slater’s parlour, to which the visitor had been shown,—the worthy landlady herself not | COMNGEMOOOKS a