Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 92: what you’re looking at

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

. <a scat CL CL LLL A” eee 84 phatic accents, “* My conviction is that she is in- nocent :”” * Heaven be thanked!” murmured Agnes, trembling with a deep sense of joy. “ Yet,” continued Mr. Wardour, “I am as ignorant as you yourself are of what may be the real interpretation of all those circumstances that have combined so strongly against her. And I must moreover remark that though as a man I believe her to be innocent, yet as a lawyer I can- not shut my eyes to the fact that unless the ex- planation of those circumstances be most satisfac- tery, and be likewise corroborated by additional testimony, a jury can come to no other conclusion than that she is guilty !” A shade of mournfulness gathered over the countenance of Agnes as Mr. Wardour thus spoke; and she murmuringly whispered, “ Bat she will tell you everything—she has promised to be candid _ behalf ?” —and we will now leave you with her.” “Tt is impossible, Miss Evelyn,” responded the parrister, “that I should abstain from expressing my admiration for the generous, the noble, and truly Christian feelings which you have displayed | towards this unfortunate girl. I do not therefore mind intimating to you that there is a certain degree of mystery in the way in which I have been retained on her behalf. She possesses a friend who will do everything to serve her, and who is firmly convinced of her innocence. The assurances of this friend of hers—the representa- tions thus made to me concerning her—have in- fluenced my own mind, and have triumphed as it were over the belief which in quite an opposite AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PI-FARUBE. “ No—you possess the sincerest sympathy of that amiable and excellent young lady, Miss Evelyn,” answered Mr. Wardour. “ Hush! no more at present !”—then turning to the police- man, the barrister added, “ You can leave us to- gether, officer.” The constable at once recognised the privilege of a legal adviser in respect to his client; and he quitted the apartment. “* Miss Evelyn believes that you are innocent,” said Mr. Wardour to Winifred, when they were alone together: “and if she departed thus abruptly, it was in consequence of my advice; for I saw that you have something to say to me to which you could not give utterance in the pre- sence of those ladies.” Winifred reflected profoundly for a few mo- ments; and then she asked, “By whom, Mr. Wardour, were you instructed to appear on my “IT was instructed by one,” replied the bar- rister, “ who evidently entertains the profoundest interest in your welfare—one who proclaimed to me his conviction of your innocence—one with whom you were made acquainted through the very medium of that woman a * Enough !” ejaculated Winifred, a deep crim- son now suffusing her countenance, which a mo- ment before was ghastly pale. “Then he has told you ” * Absolutely nothing!” responded Mr. War- dour,—“ nothing more, at least, than what I have already stated. He said that everything besides existed as your secret, which he had sworn to retain sense I should have entertained, if judging only inviolate. Ignorant of all the details of the evi- from the nature of the evidence.” | dence which might be brought against you, he *“ You mean, Mr. Wardour,” said Agnes, “that looked forward with hope and confidence to your the evidence would have led you to regard your | discharge from custody; for it was late last night client as guilty, were it not for those private re- | that he came to me—and the evening papers con- presentations which have been made to you P” “Such is my meaning, Miss Evelyn,” rejoined the barrister. steal gently forth with your friend. It will be advisable to avoid a painful scene at parting from the poor girl; and I will give her the assurance that if you withdrew stealthily it was not through any change of sentiments in her behalf.” While this discourse was being hurriedly carried on in whispers between Agnes and the barrister, Winifred had seated herself in the window-recess, where she at first wept silently and with averted countenance. She then gradually relapsed into a profound state of abstraction—that half-benumbed condition of the mind in which all the most vital | energies are crushed and weighed down by the dream-like nightmare of stupendous consternation. It was of this opportunity that Mr. Wardour was desirous the two ladies should avail themselves ; and Agnes, touching Cicely’s arm, aroused the fatter from a profoundly thoughtful mood into which she herself had sunk. Miss Evelyn beckoned her away—they glided noiselessly to- wards the door—it was opened by the policeman —and the two ladies passed out. The noise of opening and shutting the door aroused Winifred from her deep numbing reverie; and she started up from her seat. “They are gone!” she exclaimed, clasping her hands wildly ; “and now perhaps they both be- lieve me guilty !” tained but a short paragraph upon the sad subject. | He did not therefore at that time anticipate “And now let me entreat you to| such a result as your committal. And now, Miss Barrington, it is for you to explain “ Yes, sir—I will explain everything!” said Winifred, with a sudden access of firmness, “I will give you these explanations for several rea- sons. In the first place because I so emphatically pledged myself to Miss Evelyn that I would do so: in the second place because your own gene- rous and noble conduct towards me demands my fullest confidence ; and in the third place because you at least shall be enabled, whatsoever may be the result, to give the assurance of my inno- cence to such kind friends as Miss Evelyn and Mrs. Slater who have shown that they believe me guiltless.” “ But you forget, Miss Barrington,” said Mr. Wardour, “the most important reason of all wherefore you should give me these explanations, It is that I may use them for your defence when the time shall come ——” “Ab, Mr. Wardour!” exclaimed Winifred firmly; “it may be that those explanations shall never be thus used at all! In a word, it is under the seal of the strictest secrecy that I am about to tell you everything.” “Do you mean me to understand, Miss Bar- rington,” asked Mr. Wardour, in amazement. “that you will not avail yourself of every pus sible means to prove your innocence ?” Ccomleloolkks --——--- -—- (E(0) _— | a