Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 200: what you’re looking at

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ND 192 “T know it, my lord; for Brighton to be post there.” “What?” oried the nobleman, now starting with uneasiness: “is it possible that some dupli- city But no! Josephine is incapable of it !” “Your lordship imagines that your daughter Josephine,” said Cicely, “‘ has gone to pass a few weeks with a widow lady named Edwards: but that lady does not now reside at Brighton at all— she is on the Continent “Good God! what is all this that I hear?” ejaculated Lord Mendlesham, starting up from his seat in a violent state of agitation. ‘ Who are you, madam ?—and why should my daughter be at Hastings ?” “ She is residing with me, my lord, at asecluded villa about a mile and a half from the town; and when you learn how I have befriended her,” added Cicely, with a look of deep mysterious meaning, “ you will thank me—you will pour forth your soul in gratitude; for never did an un- fortunate betrayed young lady stand more in need of a friend than your daughter Josephine !” ‘Lord Mendlesham grew pale as death: the strong man staggered beneath the blow inflicted myself sent it to by those words, as if he were a child reeling from | degradstion ? —=> = 7 a oe - eee AGNES" OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. virtue !—it seems impossible! But, Ah! that villain Clifford whom she loved! Fool, fool that I was so sternly to forbid his suit! Yes, yes—I see it all !—the girl’s anguish when I ordered him from the house—the woe-begone look she flung upon me! Insensate that I have been! But my God! how can I ever break this frightful ia- telligence to my wife? It will kill her !” In this manner did the unhappy Lord Mendle- sham give vent to his despair, while pacing to and fro in that apartment. For awhile he seemed un- conscious of Cicely’s presence,— until abruptly stopping short, he seized her hand ; and pressing it warmly, said in a voice tremulous with emotion, “You are indeed a kind friend to my unhappy daughter !—yes, a friend to us all in endeavouring to throw a veil over her dishonour! You say she is residing at your house?” “Yes, my lord,” replied Cicely; “ and every precsution has been taken to protect her secret from the knowledge of the world. I swear to you that it rests entirely with yourselfi——” “Oh! can you for a moment doubt,” ex- claimed Mendlesham, “ whether I myself am anx- ious to save my unhappy child from eternal But how eame you acquainted the buffet of a giant hand; and sinking upon:his | with her secret ?” ehair, he gazed on Cicely in mingled consternation * No matter, my lord,” replied Cicely: “ you and dismay. In fact, for the last month or six | see that I am her friend. Perhaps I may ask a weeks he and Lady Merdlesham had fancied that | boon in return Josephine was not altogether in her usual health: but she had refused to receive a visit from the family physician—she had suggested that a little change of air wasall that she required—and hence : i the permission accorded by her parents for her to | set off (as they thought) for Brighton. Never until this instant had Lord Mendlesham enter- tained the slightest suspicion of the dreadful truth : but now it burst upon him with all the overwhelming force of an irresistible conviction. “My God! my God!” he murmured; “ is this possible?—am I[ disgraced and dishonoured in both my children? Oh, it was sufficient that Hector should have gone wrong, without Jose- phine being likewise brought so low!” “ The secret is safe, my lord,” said Cicely: “ of this you may rest assured!—and it will therefore depend upon yourself and Lady Mendlesham whether it shall remain so.” “Tf I did not think it was safe,” responded the nobleman, in a low hollow voice,—“ if I thought there was the slightest chance of exposure, I would blow out my brains: for a man who is dis- honoured in his daughter, cannot look the world in the face !” “TI repeat the assurance,” rejoined Cicely, “that the secret is entirely safe! Selina, your daughter’s maid, is trustworthy ; and your lord- ship may judge from the manner in which I have come to you, whether I myself am likely to betray that secret. Indeed, I have a greater interest in maintaining the honour of your family than you can as yet possibly conceive.” But the wretched nobleman heard not these last words; or if he heard them, he paid no especial heed to them : but rising from his seat, he paced to and fro in an agitated and excited manner,— ejaculating, “ My God! what shame, what degra- dation for my proud family! Josephine seduced! —Josephine whom I believed to be the pattern of weowrS 2 - = Le — ow ee —_—_——————s ” “‘ Ask anything, and it shall be granted!” ejacu- lated the nobleman. “ If you saved my life, or the life of my daughter, I should become your eternal debtor ;—and now you are saving some- thing which is even dearer than life—you are saving the honour of the family!” ** You see, my lord,” continued Cicely, with seri- ousness alike of tone and look, “ you are afflicted in your children : but pardon me for asking whether these afflictions may not in some sense be a punish- ment for your own haughty pride? Start not— and be not angry with me that i use terms apparently so harsh. Because there bas long been a species of feud betwixt yourself and Lord Win- dermere, you sternly forbade the suit of his son Theodore Clifford ; and when you found that he had stealthily entered your house to pay his ad- dresses to your daughter, you banished him under all circumstances of ignominy. Then, in respect to your son Hector % “ Speak not of him!” ejaculated the nobleman vehemently : “ he has naught to do with the pre- sent unfortunate affair!” * And yet, my lord,” said Cicely, with a firm decisiveness of tone, “it suits my purpose to speak of your son Hector.” ** Madam,” cried the nobleman, “ you are abas- ing the power which circumstances have given you over me !—you are touching upon a topie which cannot possibly concern you !” “ More perhaps than your lordship imagines,” responded Cicely. “Did you not ere now promise that anything [ might ask as a reward for tne friendship which I am displaying towards your daughter Ee “ Yes, yes!” ejaculated the excited nobleman; “and if this friendship of your’s be not disinte- rested, but can be recompensed by gold———” “No, my lord,” said the young lady proudly: “T seek not gold asa reward. But I wouldask ~ GComilcbooks —— ae a 7 . Ps com sad