Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 75: what you’re looking at

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

_ in the same spot. —_—_—_——— ee ee ‘one of the policemen. —_— eC AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. but as he threaded it, still no Mrs, De Vere was | in a faltering tone; for he was dismayed and he- to be seen. He now once more reached the tortuous lane which in recent pages has been so often alluded to ; and he was inspired by curiosity to ascertain whe- ther the old hag and the young milliner were still He advanced slowly round the bend in the lane: he came within sight of the place where he had so fruitlessly endeavoured to interfere in the quarrel ; and a spectacle did in- deed meet his eyes! But very different was it from anything that he could possibly have anticipated; for there, upon the grass, lay the old hag, a lifeless corpse— and two police-constables were bending over her! —— CHAPTER XIII. THE MURDER.—SIR JOHN DALHAM. Tue first glance had convinced Charles De Vere that the old woman was indeed a corpse ; for her countenance was livid—the eyes, wide open, were fixed with a glassy stare—and as the policeman raised the form, it hung in a lifeless manner. Moreover, the ejaculations which our young hero caught issuing from the lips of the constables, con- firmed the dreadfal idea—even if any such con- firmation were wanting at all. An indeseribable horror seized upon the young man: he stopped short—and then staggered back, his hat falling from his head, and he only preserving himself from falling likewise by a sudden and powerfully exerted energy. : ** Murder’s work has béen done here, sir !” said * Look! there’s the mark upon the unfortunate creature’s neck. By Jove! it must have been hands of iron that grasped her with such effect !” **She’s been throttled—that’s quite clear!” ex- claimed the otber constable. Charles De Vere now approached close up to the spot ; and he beheld the marks to which the policeman alluded. A fierce and deadly gripe had indeed been taken of the wretched woman’s threat: the traces of the fingers were there: the naiis had left deep indentations in the flesh, A brooch—of a common and even trumpery cha- racter, which had fastened Mrs. Chicklade’s scarf, or rather large silk cape which she wore—was smashed; so that one of the constables observed, “No doubt the murderer got his knee upon the poor wretch and held her down upon the grass while he throttled her.” “Yes,” said Charles De Vere, giving audible ex- pression to his dismayed and bewildered musings ; “ it eould scarcely have been that girl whom I saw quarrelling with her !” * A girl quarrelling with her?” ejaculated one of the officers, catching at what instantaneously struck him as a clue to the hideous mystery. “ Be so kind, sir, as to tell us what you know.” * I repeat,” said Charles, “it is impossible it eould have been that girl, And yet “1 “ Indeed, sir, you must explain yourself,” ex- claimed the officer firmly. ‘“ Whatever your thoughts on the subject may be “I certainly did behold comething,” said Charles, G7 wildered by a thousand horrible ideas. “In short, some little while back—half-an-hour or so—I was walking in this Jane with my mother—I heard the sounds of altercation —I saw this unfortunate woman disputing with a young person having the air of a seamstress or milliner of a superior class Indeed, if it had not been for her bandboxes, I should have taken her to be a lady " ** Did you hear any threats, sir, come from thio young person’s lips?” asked the constable who waa performing the part of questioner. **T certainly must admit that at the moment when I first became aware of the quarrel,” re- svonded Charles, though with hesitation thus giving ubterance to the recollections which came back into his mind—for he was loth to criminate an interesting young female whom despite all sus- picious circumstances he could scarcely bring him- self to regard as the authoress of so foul a crime, —“TI certainly must admit that she was speaking very vehemently doubtiess however she was much provoked. Ah! I remember, she said that there was the feeling of a tigress within her.” “Ah! she said that, sir—did she ?” exclaimed the police-constable, glancing quickly at his com- panion, as much as to imply that they were on the right track to the discovery of the guilty person. ** And what else did you hear, sir?” ““T was almost immediately afterwards upon this spot,’ replied De Vere. “The two females had at once ceased speaking on bebolding my mother and myself and I, thinking that the poor girl was being ill-treated, menaced, or coerced into mischief by this woman—I came forward, I say, to offer her my protection.” “And what then transpired, sir?” asked the constable. “The young person refused all interference ou my part,” answered De Vere: “she said that she preferred remaining with the woman—that they had something to talk about Ab! Erecoilect another thing too!” ejaculated Charles, feeling the absolute necessity of telling the whole truth, and all the more so inasmuch as each successive remembrance that arose in his mind tended all the more forcibly to criminate the young mil- liner. “What else do you reeollect, sir?” asked the constable. “That the girl had a strange, half-wild, half- vacant look—so that I thought her reason was to sume degree unsettled or I should perhaps rather say that I scarcely knew what to think. But at all events this woman”—and here he pointed to the corpse—*® seemed to exercise some extraordinary power over her; for with a signifi- cant look, and merely displaying a ring e “ A ring?” said the constable, inquiringly. “ Yes—I recollect perfectly,” rejoined De Vere: “it was a ring on the little finger of her right hand “ “ But it is not here now!” interjected the con- stable, holding up the deceased woman’s right hand, which was ungloved—and the glove itself was lying upon the grass. ““ No—the ring is not there!” ejaculated Charlies * But I have a perfect recollection a “Let us look at the other hand,” interrupted the police-offieer: and he drew off the clove. —— eae ee eee — ee ee Comiclooks C@