Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 96: what you’re looking at

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

————_— 88 being handed over to her; and satisfied upon the | -ishment: “is it possible ?” These Mrs. Maddox grasped with avidity; point, she counted down twenty guineas upon the table. and Miss Neale, having secured the packet about her person, issued from the room. “Permit me?” said Mrs. Maddox, officiously hastening forward in the passage to open the front door. ** Do not trouble yourself,” said Cicely, getting before her: “£ would rather open the door for myself.” At the same time—while with one hand upon the latch—with the other she dexterously drew forth the key; and this little proceeding was to- tally unsuspected by Mrs. Maddox. “ Good evening, ma’am,” said this woman, won- dering whether she should ever see her strange visitress again, and wondering also what her face could be like: for never once throughout the in- terview had she obtained the slightest glimpse of Miss Neale’s features. “Good evening,” answered Cicely: and she issued from the house. The front door closed behind her—she thrust the key into the lock—turned it—drew it forth, and then dropped it down the area. “T cannot now be followed!” she said to her- self, as she passed rapidly along the street. “The woman knows not who I am—suspects not—and never can ascertain! She was burning with curiosity—but I have disappointed her in every respect !” Miss Neale was infinitely delighted with the re- sult of her visit to the house of questionable repu- tation in Norton Street. She walked on at a quick pace, in order to obtain a cab as speedily as pos- sible to take her home: but just as she was turning a corner into another street, she was suddenly caught round the waist by a tall young gentleman, who was smoking a cigar, and who exclaimed, “ Whither away so quick, my pretty one ?—for I'll be bound that this veil covers no common-looking countenance !” : The words were spoken with the insolent fami- liarity of a young rake who fancied that he was fully justified in thus treating any female whom he might chance to meet alone in that neighbourhood and at that hour of the evening. The single ejacu- lation, “ Ah!” came from the lips of Cicely, as by a sudden turn she released herself from the arm that had been thrown round her waist: and then she stood for a few moments as if irresolute what course to adopt. “Come, lift that veil of your’s,” said the young rake, “and let me see the features it covers. If the face corresponds with the form - “ Follow me!” Miss Neale suddenly said, speak- ing in a feigned tone as she laid her hand upon the gentleman’s arm: and she bastened along the street, having satisfied herself by a glance thrown over her shoulder, that he was upon her track. The adventure seemed to promise amusement, if not novelty; and the gentleman had not therefore hesitated to obey her invitation that he should follow. She led the way into Fitzroy Square; and when the disreputable quarter which she had just visited was thus eseaped from, she stopped short. The gentleman immediately rejvined her; and she raised her veil. | place I find you ia AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. “Cicely!” he ejaculated, starting back in aston- “Yes—it is I, Hector,” she answered. have sought an interview with you—and accident has now favoured my wish.” * Accident indeed !” cried the Hon. Mr. Har- dress—for he the gentleman was. “ And a pretty ”» “ Hector,” interrupted Miss Neale, half-indig- nantly and half-reproachfully, “if I were indeed reduced to that state of infamy which is implied by your suspicion, whose fault would it be? But bad as you are—and badly therefore as you may judge of others—you cannot seriously and delibe- rately think that I have sunk down to such de- gradation as this!” ** My dear girl,” answered Hector, now caress- ing his moustache with a cool superciliousness, while his tone indicated a sort of half-insolent, half-patronising familiarity, “it certainly is not unnatural I should have entertained such a sus- picion on finding you in such a neighbourhood. Perhaps you would believe me if I were to pro- claim that my sole object in visiting it was to dis- tribute religious tracts, or seek to reform some of the unfortunate creatures ——” “A truce to this hideous mockery !” ejaculated Miss Neale, with accents of indignation and dis- gust. ‘“ For my own sake I will tell you why I am here. Do you not know that a certain person who on occasions has only too well served your purposes “4 * Ah! youallude to Mother Chicklade ?” inter- jected Hardress, with a cool contemptuousness of tone. ‘‘ Well, she has met her death at last but I cannot see what that has got to do with your presence in this neighbourhood.” * Are you ignorant that the vile woman herself lived in this neighbourhood ?” demanded Cicely: “have you not read that much in the news- papers P” *“Yes—now that I recollect,” said Hardress, “she did live in the very street from which you were issuing forth so rapidly.” “And perhaps,” continued Cicely, “it may occur to you that there was a possibility of this woman being in possession of some letters or billets in which my name might be mentioned: for I believe that she was occasionally honoured by receiving a written communication from the gentleman whom I am now addressing P” There was a certain sarcasm and a subdued bitterness pervading Miss Neale’s accents as she thus spoke; while her eyes were fixed upon the countenance of the young patrician. ‘‘ Ah, yes,” he said, with a careless indifference of tone and manner; “it is probable that if the dame were in the habit of preserving her papers at all, she may have had specimens of my hand- writing amongst them.” * And although the Hon. Hector Hardress,” continued Cicely, “ may be, utterly indifferent in respect to his own name being found figuring amongst the papers which such a woman might possess, it is not so with me. If those letters were published to the world, the Hon. Hector Hardress need not hold his head one whit less high than at present: the colour need not deepen upon his cheeks: he would ‘have no fear that the finger of scorn would point at him—that his com- ne | COMMcoooKs eT (EC) se) "yan