Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 364: what you’re looking at

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

356 losing his best friend in the retreating form of | the misanthrope. And that form was soon lost in the distance ; and then Gustavus turning abruptly rouna, dashed | his open palm against his forehead, ejaculating, “Miserable wretch that I am, I now not what to do!” He hurried on, neither perceiving nor caring in which direction he went—but borne as it were by the wild tornado of his thoughts, as a balloon in the air is hurried through the expanse on the wild wing of the whirlwind. Thus he sped on for nearly half-an hour, despair and madness in his brain,—until he suddenly stopped short on the brink of a precipice, down which another forward | footstep would have precipitated him. He started back, an ejaculation of horror bursting from his lips as he abruptly became vividly alive to the awful peril which he had just escaped. But as he glanced around, he beheld a female form at a little distance; and now another ejaculation was evoked from his tongue. “ Ab, Emily !’’—it was thus that he exclaimed. * Dearest Gus!” cried the quadroon, bounding > towards him: “I have been looking for you! You | did not come in to luncheon—I was alarmed But good heavens, Gustavus! what is the matter with you?—why do you regard me thus?” “Keep back, Emily!” he exclaimed, with a) sinister fierceness in his regards as well as in his tone; “ or by heaven, I shall do you a mischief !” And the quadroon did step back; for there was | something fearful in her young husband’s aspect. She was elegantly dressed, and had looked won- drously handsome until the moment when a sallow paleness seized upon her countenance on behold- | ing those terrible looks. “Gustavus!” she exclaimed, sake . “Emily, keep back, I tell you! Depart hence!” | his voice actually thundered ; “ or I shall do you | a mischief! Look! this precipice is aber are sea rolls at the bottom a “ My God! he has gone mad !’’—and Emily | clasped her hands in horror. “ Mad ?—yes, mad !” echoed Gustavus fiercely. | “ Wretch that you are! what has made you the bitter, bitter persecutor of my relations ?”’ “Ah!’—and the quadroon’s face became as deadly pale as the duskiness of her complexion would permit ; and it was a hideous pallor which overspread that brunette richness of the skin ; for her guilty conscience suddenly smote her, and a suspicion in reference to the document flashed wildly and horribly into her brain. “ Yes—I see that you comprehend my mean- ing !” exclaimed Gustavus. ‘“ My God! why did you do itP?—why did you deceive me so infa- mously ? There has been a letter from my cousin “ A letter P”’ repeated Emily in affright. “Yes—a letter that never reached me! It was intercepted doubtless ? Perhaps you know how!” “ Oh! pardon me, Gustavus—pardon me, I be- seech !’—and again the quadroon’s hands were clasped with even a mortal agony. “Ah! then you confess it—and I could almost kul you!” he cried, in terrible accents, “ But an- other letter has come —it has just reached my hands “for heaven's AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. “ Another letter? Ob, Gustavus!” exclaimed _Emily, “the document is safe—you shall have it “ T have already got it!” he ejaculated, in ac- cents of the wildest scorn. “I found it in your box—and I have entrusted it to one who will not deceive me!” * Listen to me, Gustavus —listen to me for God’s sake! and I will explain everything! For, Ob ! I have been very, very wretched on account of that document !—it has haunted me like a re- morse! Yet I take heaven to witness, Gustavus, that it all arose from the immense love which I bear you “4 “Ob, talk not to me of love!” he cried,ina voice fearfully mocking and ironical. “Tell me of your hatred—and I shall believe you! Tell me that this hatred of yours has poured forth its vials not only against myself, but likewise against my _unoffending relatives. Yes— tell me of your hatred, Emily “My hatred ?” she shrieked forth in wildest dismay. “Ob, no! no! Say anything to me rather than that! Ob, my God! I love you, Gus- tavus—I love you!”—and the quadroon boundin forward, flung her arms about his neck. “Keep off! keep off, I say!” he vociferated, violently pushing her away from him. ‘“ As soon a serpent to enfold me in its coils, as you in your arms!” “No, no—I will not be spurned! I love you! —madly, passionately love you!—and you shall forgive me!” “Never!” exclaimed Gustavus: and the voice of that young man was terrible, for it sounded like the voice of doom. Nevertheless the half-frenzied Emily, wild with despair, rushed again towards him to throw her arms about his neck: but he, likewise half mad- dened, pushed her from him with exceeding vio- ‘lence. Then a terrific skriek pealed from her lips : for she had reeled back to the edge of the preci- | pice—the earth was giving way beneath her— another moment and she was falling down into the _abysm. Oh! then, mingling with her own piercing shrieks, rang forth the wild cries from the lips of Gustavus; and it was a perfect miracle that he himself was not hurled over the precipice by the sudden spring which he made forward to clutch the garments of his falling wife. But he failed to gr 5 ‘reach her; and it was only by throwing himself suddenly upon his back that he was saved. Quick as lightning he again started up to his feet. All _was now still below; he looked over—he almost fell forward, while plunging his eyes down into the abyss. The sea—calm and shining like a lake of quicksilver—lay at the foot: there was nota speck upon its surface; and during the several minutes which the horror-stricken youth stood thus gazing over, down into that depth, no human form appeared on the bosom of that sea. It was not with passionate exclamations,—no, it was in profound silence, that Gustavus turned away from the spot. A stupendous consternation was upon Lim: he was stunned—stupefied. Ths nightmare of dismay sat heavy upon his soul; and it was again with utter recklessness as to whither hie footsteps might lead him, that he comicbooks 7 ee ee ———————— ee oe “a en =