Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 38: what you’re looking at

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

a — 30 _ The next moment he was issuing from the cot- tage; and Mrs, De Vere proceeded to the breakfast- parlour. On entering that room, she closed the door be- hind her; and as she turned to do this, a deadly pallor swept over her countenance: but when she again looked towards the old woman, that ghastli- ness of aspect was gone—and it was only her wonted paleness that rested upon her cheeks, Her look too was now perfectly collected. “You wish to see me, my good woman P” said Mrs. De Vere, in a compassionating tone: “and if it be to tell a tale of distress and suffering, rest assured that I shall not refuse you relief:’—at the same time she drew forth her purse. “Don’t you remember me?” asked the hag, evidently somewhat taken aback by this mode of address, as well as by that unblenching calmness of demeanour which Mrs. De Vere now wore. ‘How caw I remember you, my poor woman,” asked the lady, “when to the best of my know- ledge I never saw you before ?” “And yet your servant,” rejoined the hag, “told me that you seemed to bear in mind the name of Chicklade.” “IT did not say so,” responded Mrs. De Vere: and it was still with an unfailing calmness that she gave utterance to this untruth. “Strange!” muttered the woman; “and yet I could have sworn to it, although so many years have elapsed!”—then drawing closer to Mrs. De Vere, she fixed her small reptile-like eyes upon the lady’s countenance, as if scanning every lineament with the minutest scrutiny. * Tell me what you require,” said Mrs. De Vere: “andif it be in my power I will bestow such ebarity as I may deem you worthy of.” But while she was thus speaking, the counte- nance of Mrs. Chicklade expanded or else con- tracted—we scarcely know which term to use— into an expression of sardonic significancy ; and with a leer of insolent meaning, she exclaimed, “Tt won’t do! you can’t carry it off with this high air of your’s! Id swear that I am not mistaken! Come, iet me whisper a word in your ear.” Before the lady could possibly prevent the move- ment—and indeed she was perhaps so transfixed and petrified with her feetings as to be utterly in- eapable of drawing back a single pace—Mrs, Chicklade had advanced close up to her and had breathed something in her ear. The effect was instantaneous. Mrs. De Vere started as if a rep- tile had just stung her; and a look so haggurd and woe-begone—Oh ! so woe-begone—seized upon her countenance, that the old hag exclaimed with a leer of malicious triumph, “Ab, I knew I was right !”” Mrs. De Vere sank into a chair, and placed her hand upon her brow as if to subdue the sense of excruciating anguish which had fastened itself on her brain. There was a silence of upwards of a minute,—during which Mrs. Chicklade watched the effect which her whispered words had thus produced. But suddenly Mrs. De Vere started up from her seat ; and clutching the cld woman by the arm, she looked with haggard eyes into her countenance, saying in a deep hollow voice, “ You did net drop a word to my servant relative to this?” “Not a word,” replied Mrs. Chicklade. “It ——— me oe _— AGNES; OR, BEAULY AND PLEASULE. ————_———— eee would have done me no good; and as I knew very well that when you and I came to understand each other “ “ Hnough !” interrupted Mrs. De Vere, releas- ing the woman’s arm from her grasp as abruptly as she had seized upon it: and it was now witha strong recoil that she stepped back. ‘ You shall have gold!—you shall have the wherewith to im- prove your circumstances !—but come not near me again! Think not that because I yield this time, I shall on any future occasion consent to be- _ come the victim of extortion! sooner !” An undefinable expression of sinister malignity passed over the hideous countenance of Mrs. Chicklade : but so transient was it that Mrs. De Vere, in the desperate state of her mind, hoped that her own eyes had deceived her and that no such ominous look had in reality appeared upon that wrinkled face. Her purse was upon the table: she emptied it of its contents, which amounted to about eighteen or twenty pounds in gold, silver, and bank-notes ; and pointing to the money, she said, “ Take it!—and 1 beseech you to trouble me no more !” It was evidently an immense treasure in the eyes of that harridan, who had for a long time past known penury and distress as her constant com- panions. The sum even appeared to be greater than she had expected to receive ; and it was thus under the influence of her joy that Mrs. Chick- lade exclaimed, “‘ Don’t be afraid, ma’am! You have done the thing handsome: it will just give me a lift in the world—and I sha'n’t bother you again !” Mrs. De Vere sank down once more into the chair from which she had started up; and she made an impatient gesture for the old woman to be gone. A dizziness was in her brain—a film was coming over her eyes—her thoughts were growing confused; and it seemed to her imagina-, tion as if some horrible spectre which had been terrifying her was now passing away from her pre- sence. it was not until she heard the door close that she was re-awakened to complete conscious ness of everything that had happened. Then the unfortunate lady pressed both her hands to her wildly throbbing brows,—murmuring, “ My God, my God! wherefore such a dreadful trial as this?” No—TI will perish CHAPTER VII THE GARDEN. THREE months passed away; and during this period Charles De Vere had improved his ae- quaintance with the beautiful inmates of Sidney Villa. His calls were at first made at properly distant intervals: but by degrees they grew more frequent. Floribel always welcomed any agree- able person who might drop in to help her while away the time which she would otherwise languish through in a sort of dreamy listlessness; aud Agnes received the young gentleman with an affable courtesy. Charles became deeply ena- moured of the beautiful Miss Evelyn, in whom he beheld something fresh to admire and love every time that he was in her society: He found that Ccomlelooolkxs (eo)