Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 347: what you’re looking at

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

said Gustavus, now gazing with impassioned fer- your upon the remarkably handsome countenance of the quadroon, while he felt her glowing bosom heaving against his arm as she clung to it. “Well, Gustavus,” she said, “I think that if I have a fault it is loving you too devotedly! If at times there have been paroxyms of anger on my part—displays of temper 4 “Do not allude to them, Emily!” said Gus- tayus, whose beart was so easily brought into com- plete subjection beneath the fascinating powers of the beautiful quadroon: “the kindness of your present conduct is atoning for everything! Come —we are now on our way to the prison — and then afterwards, Emily, I must just return for a moment to my cousin’s lodgings—but only for a moment, you know, just to bid her farewell—and you can come with me if you like “Oh, I will go anywhere with you,” said Emily ; “but we must first return to the hotel e “ Return to the hotel first ?’ asked Gustavus. “Yes, assuredly,” rejoined the quadroon. “I have not partaken of any breakfast—neither have you—I am faint—and you must be famished 4 “But it will not take us long, dearest Emily, to make these calls; and since we are in the neigh- bourhood ¥ “Well, my beloved husband,” she interrupted him, “I feel at this moment as if I could do any- thing to oblige you: but really you must suffer me to have my own way in one little respect. You are about to introduce me to your grandfather ; and is it not natural that I should desire to win his good opinion—to appear before him with my best looks e “And when did you ever look more charming than you do at this moment, Emily ?” asked Gus- tavus, surveying with intensest admiration the beautiful countenance of his quadroon wife. “Ah! you are kind to say so,” rejoined Emily, with one of her sweetest smiles; “ but I do not feo! like myself in this plain mourning dress—with my hair only hurriedly arranged—with not a single particle of jewellery about my person “You never looked handsomer, Emily ;—and in Jamaica I often used to think that you were most ravishingly beautiful when simply clad in your white dress and your large straw hat ig * But we are not in Jamaica now,” interrupted the quadroon, with a smile: “ we are in a country where much stress is placed upon suitable and de- cent apparel. Now therefore, Gustavus, let me have my own way: we will return to the hotel— we will partake of breakfast—I will then dress my- self in a suitable manner—and we will proceed to visit your grandfather, as well as your cousin Winifred.’ “ Well, be it so,” said the young man, who by this time was quite accustomed to yield to the wishes of his wife, as she herself was accustomed to enforce her own will either by means of winning cajoleries or impetuous outbursts of passion. “© After all,” thought Gustavus to himself, “it will only be the delay of about an hour—or an hour and a half; and that will be no consequence. Besides, Emily is in such an unusually good bumour, and has suddenly taken such a fancy to- wards my relatives, that it would be a perfect sin to say or do aught to ruffle her temper.” The hotel at which they had established their AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. SS A EE ORES ED A REE SE ee eS me 339 temporary quarters, was in the City, and ai no very great distance from the spot where they had encountered each other. They had only arrived in London at a late hour on the preceding evening: they were then much fatigued, and they were not therefore inclined to repair to any great distance before retiring to rest. Besides, Emily had aa- other reason for remaining in the City in prefer- ence to patronising a West End hotel. This was because the firm of Millard and Co., Mr. Pinnoeck's London correspondents, had a ship just ready to clear out from the West India Docks,—a circum- stance which had been privately communicated to the quadroon, and of which she was resolved to take advantage. Indeed, this was the principal consideration which had induced her to suggest that they should stay at a City hotel, instead of proceeding to more fashionable quarters. The hotel was soon reached: the husband and wife ascended to the private sitting-room which they had hired—and breakfast was served up. Emily exerted all her powers to please and fasci- nate Gustayus—to render herself agreeable to him —and to put him in such an excellent humour as should induce him to do ample justice to the re- past. He fell completely into the way in which her wiles tended to lead him; and when he had partaken of his coffee, it required little or no press- ing on her part to make him imbibe a glass or two of liguewr. He then felt a drowsiness coming over him : Emily affected to be impressed with the con- viction that he was unwell—that he was suffering from indigestion, or from the fatigues of recent travelling—that he must therefore go to bed and rest himself. Gustavus was too much overpowered by the soporific drug which Emily had mixed with the liqueur, to think or act for himself: be had but a dim recollection of the proposed visit to be made to his grandfather—he suffered Emily to lead him to the chamber, where she helped to dis- apparel him—he lay down on the couch—and ina few minutes was wrapped in a profound stupor. When Emily was assured that her husband slept thus deeply, she put on her bonnet and shawl ; and hastened forth from the hotel. She proceeded by the Blackwall Railway to the West India Docks ; and there she instituted every requi- site inquiry respecting the vessel belonging to the firm of Millard and Co. which was ready to sail. She had an interview with the captain, in whose hands she placed a liberal bribe ; and a speedy un- derstanding was arrived at between them. “You be prepared, ma’am, to night between nine and ten o'clock,” said the captain, at the ter- mination of the conference; ‘ and all shall be carried into effect as you propose. I sha’nt send any of my sailors, because it is a thing that might be talked of afterwards—and that is what I would rather avoid: but there’s always a lot of fellows hanging about the docks that will do any job fora bribe—and [ will trust the business to two or three of them.” Emily, having settled matters to her satisfac. tion with the captain of the ship, returned to the hotel. Gustavus was still sleeping ; and as she bent over him, she thought within herself, “ Yes— this is the only plan! His mind will continue restless so long as he remains near those relatives of his: he will never be completely. tranquil and happy until he is again at Mount Pleasant, Poor ore a ee er ate onus as COMmicoool<s ————— a com