Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 211: what you’re looking at

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

AGN 2S; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, 203 really be either Miss Evelyn or any other lady on | She quickly ascertained — from some remarks legitimate business, [ can apologize for your ab-| which caught her ear in respect to the mail- sence—I can state that I am your cousin—and I | steamer which brought Gustavus—that she was can send and fetch you.” | thus close upon his track; and as there were seye- So great had been the grief of Gustavus that | ral Transatlantic packets unloading at the time, Winifred was ready and willing to do anything | she looked about to see if by any possibility she she could to tranquillize his mind; and she was could discover him. While thus engaged, she moreover so much unnerved herself that she did! caught sight of a package which she full well re- not perceive the somewhat absurd sophistry of his | cognised; for she herself had helped Gustavus to reasoning. Therefore, so soon as they reached | stow the box of gould therein, instead of the jars Aldersgate Street, she suffered him to escort her | of pickles and preserves which it was supposed at (the cab being dismissed) as far as Whitecroes Street Mount Pleasant had been bought for that pur- Prison; and he left her with an injunction that | purpose. She could not see the direction upon it she was to remain there until he either sent for | asit happened to be turned downward: neither her or came to rejoin her. They thus tempo-| did she exactly remember what address Gustavus rarily separated; and Gustavus proceededto Mrs | had written on it at the time: but she knew that Slater’s; for it was now verging towards one o'clock | old Mr. Barrington was in Whitecross Street —the hour when tae veiled young lady had said | Prison; and thus she felt sure that on her arrival she would repeat her visit. in London she should be enabled to find a clue to On entering the lodging-house, Gustavus said the whereabouts of her perfidious fugitive lover, to the maid-servant, “If that young lady who! When she thus caught sight of the package, no called yesterday, should come again, she may /| ulterior idea entered her mind; and if she con- doubtless ask for my cousin. Request her at once | templated it attentively for a few minutes, it was to walk up-stairs—do not say that Miss Barring- | only because it was something which was so in- ton is out—and do not mention my name. [I | timately associated with the faithless one whom know what it all means—it is a little matter which | she had come to seek. requires to be conducted thus carefully.” Not perceiving Gustavus anywhere about, she Mary promised compliance; and Gustavus as- | was even angry with herself at having for a mo- eended to his cousin’s apartment, It would be | ment yielded to the idea that he might be still in impossible to describe the agony of mind expe- | Liverpool. rienced by this wretched young man. Emily “No, no!” she said bitterly to herself: “he is Pinnock was in London!—she was evidently | on his road to see and console his Winifred, who armed with terribly resolute purposes; for she | will now become al! the more dear to him since had already been at work with a fatal activity; | she is acquitted!”—for the intelligence of the and that she now meant to reveal everything to | trial’s result had already been made known to Winifred, was only too apparent! Gustavus | Emily Pinnock, in a’ way similar to that by walked to and fro in his cousin’s room, at one | means of which Gustavus himself had obtained time like a lion chafing in his cage—at another | the knowledge while yet upon the high sea. like a despairing wretch who was on the point of The beautiful quadroon now determined to pro- being dragged forth to the place of execution. At | ceed to London; and having made inquiries rela- ene moment his countenance was flushed with a | tive to the trains, she repaired to the railway- vivid fever-heat: then his face became ghastly and | station. This was the first time she had ever been his features all distorted. Thus half an-hour|in England: everything was therefore completely passed : some adjacent church clock struck one— | novel to her in this country: but her demeanour and then a double knock resounded through the | was such as to lead a stranger to suppose that she house. Gustavus heard the front door open and | was labouring not under the slightest embarrass- shut: then his ears caught the tread of female | ment or feeling of awkwardness, but that she was footsteps, accompanied by the rustling of gar- | perfectly well acquainted with Hnglish customs, ments, ascending the stairs;—and then those | circumstances, and affairs. She had all her self- steps ceased just outside the door of the room. possessicn about her; and as she was anxious to That door was opened; and a form, well known | avoid the proffer of assistance or advice on the though closely veiled, entered the apartment. part of strangers, she was careful to assume a “Ah! is it you?” ejaculated Emily Pinnock, | mien best calculated to repel any such overture. in a low half-suppressed tone: and glancing round! Now, it happened that in her anxiety to be in to assure herself that the maid-seryant had re- | full time for the train, she was a good half-hour tired, she threw back the veil from her counte- beforehand; and thus she had ample time to sur- nance of dusky beauty. vey tho station, and watch the progress of all those gigantic and bustling arrangements which are as- —_ sociated with railways. While thus looking about her, Emily was suddenly called upon to stand out of the way while a large wain, laden with pack- ages of all descriptions, drew up at a particular THE QUADROON IN LONDON, spot to be unloaded. As Emily watched the pro- cess of rapidly discharging that waggon of its con- Emity Pinnock had left Kingston in asteam- tents, she caught sight of the well-known case packet which started on the second day after the which contained the treasure of ore and gold-dust. departure of the one in, which Gustavus was a At that moment a young man, with the air and passenger: but inasmuch as the former was some- bustling habits of a clerk, came hastening to the what swifter than the other, it reached Liverpool’ spot were the waggon was being unloaded ; and pool but a few hours later than the rival vessel. seeing the guard of a train standing near, he in- CHAPTER XXXIV. Comiclooolks ——— ee Om