Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 213: what you’re looking at

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

/ ment. AGNES; OR, BRAUTY ANP PLEASURE. 205 SS EES eae ea ae ee time in the prison with the old man, and that there they were likely to remain until five o’clock. Emily had no desire to create a scene within the walls of that establishment: neither did she choose that any message should be sent in to Winifred, for fear‘lest on coming to answer it she might be accompanied by Gustavus—in which case the scene would occur in the street. There- fore Emily, on ascertaining where Winifred lodged—for this was the principal object of her -inquiries—remunerated the turnkey for his civi- lity, and hastened to Aldersgate Street. Qn arriving at Mrs. Slater’s house, Emily, as we have seen, decided upon waiting in Winifred’s apartment until her return, Thither she was accordingly shown by the maid-servant Mary. All this while Emily had carefully concealed her countenance ; for she did not wish Gustavus to obtain the slightest hint of her presence in Eng- land, for fear lest in his desperation he should flee away, as in a similar state of mind he had fled ‘from Jamaica. It was her plan that the revela- tion of her presence should strike him with the suddenness of a blow, so that the matter between them might be at once brought to a crisis. Emily found herself alone in Winifred’s apart- She sat down—gazed about her—and said to herself, “ It is here that my rival lives. Ab, my rival!—but how long shall she remain so? Must not this day decide her fate and mine? If in the first instance I meet her alone—as I hope to do—I will tell her everything, so that she may at once discard from her heart that youth who has evidently at one time been as faithless towards her as he has since proved faithless towards me. Then, if everything be suddenly brought to an end betwixt Gustavus and Winifred, he can have no earthly excuse for not fulfilling his oath and his duty, his pledges and his obligations, towards my- self! But if, on the other hand, the two cousins shall presently return together—and if I must confront them both at once—it will serve my pur- pose just as well; for I shall mercilessly unmask Gustavus and proclaim everything in the presence of his cousin Winifred !” Such were the reflections and such the plans of Emily Pinnock, during the first ten minutes that she found herself alone in Winifred’s apartment. As she gazed about her, the idea stole into her mind that it would be expedient, if possible, to discover beforehand the real sentiments of Gusta- vus towards Winifred,—whether he had hurried off from Jamaica to England solely under the influ- ence of the horror produced on his mind by the sudden discovery of her frightful position, and thus with the mere intention of succouring her— or whether it were obedient to the impulse of a resuscitated and reawakened love. If Emily could only find any of the letters which Gustavus had written from Kingston to Winifred, her uncer- tainty on these points would be set at rest. She was alone in that room :—why should she not in- stitute a search? No sooner thought of than done! There was the workbox upon the table ; and this was the very first object of her investi- gation. Ah, there was a letter! What was it? Not from Gustavus—not from Kingston! No— but from Liverpool !—the very letter of which she had heard a clerk of the shipping-agents speak to the guard of the luggage-train! An idea flashed to Emily’s mind: she possessed herself ot the letter—and then hastened from the house, leaving with the servant-maid a message to the effect that she would return on the morrow at one o’clock, Taking a cab in Aldersgate Street, Emily ordered the driver to proceed to the Buston Square ter- minus. From the conversation which she had overheard at the railway-station at Liverpool, as well as from the contents of the letter which she now had in her possession, Emily Pinnock comprehended how easy it would be to obtain possession of the trea- sure. This would be a most important point for the quadroon to gain: it would be giving her an immense advantage over Gustavus ;—while, on the other hand, she felt perfectly convinced that after everything which had taken place between them, he would never dare employ legal measures of coercion. With a heart thus exulting in an- ticipated triumph, Emily Pinnock reached Huston Square; and now she composed her countenance for the part she had to perform. She likewise raised her veil ; for sho felt that any appearance of concealment or extreme reserve might only tend to engender suspicion, On making an in- quiry, she was directed to the Goods’ Department; and there she addressed herself to the clerk whose duty it was to attend to business of this descrip- tion. “T have called concerning a case which I expect from Liverpool,” said Emily, in a tone of calm confidence, “ and which was originally shipped at Kingston.” “What name, ma’am P” inquired the clerk, struck by the beauty of the quadroon. “Perhaps I should do well to show you a letter which I have received from the agents at Liver- pool :’—and Emily at once produced the document to which she alluded. “ Ab, I recollect!’ said the clerk, who had ree ceived an intimation from the guard of the lug- gage-train relative to that particular case. “ You, then, I presume, are Miss Barrington ?” “Tam Miss Barrington,” responded the qua- droon, steadily and quietly meeting the clerk’s gaze. ‘ Winifred Barrington ?” muttered the clerk to himself: for the name, in connexion with the late trial, was fresh in his memory. “ It is sin- gular!—the same name—and the Christian name so peculiar! But still this can’t be she who was tried !’—and thus musing, he again surveyed Miss Pinnock. “ Do you know whether the case has arrived ?” she asked. “Ah! perhaps you are struck by the similitude of names ?—but it is only a coinci- dence. Heaven forbid that I should be that other Winifred Barrington of whom you are doubtless thinking !” “ Ob, no, Miss! I was certain you could not be!” ejaculated the clerk, because he had read at the time a description of Winifred’s appearance, and it differed exceedingly from that of the qua- droon now before him. “ But pardon me—my time is precious. There is a case which arrived just now, corresponding with the specifications in that letter of advice. It would have been sent on to your house this afternoon: but if you come, Miss, to take it away with you, you have only to sign the hock and it is at your disposal,” COMmMicooolkks Olin