Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 114: what you’re looking at

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

er eee ee 108 AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. cause, as the reader will recollect, the whole of the preceding night had been a sleepless one for him. rie hod just reached that point where the last | train of intelligible thought is slipping out of the mind, and the ideas are falling into dreamy con- fusion previous to being stgeped in oblivion—or, in plainer terms, he was just sinking into a pro- found slumber, when the rapid clattering of a horse’s hoofs startled him up to complete wakeful- nese, and he caught the din of a steed galloping away from the house. He sprang out of bed; and tearing aside the curtain, looked through the window. At that moment be caught sight of the quadroon, dressed in light flowing drapery, and with a large sun-hat upon her head, just as she appeared in one of the pictures suspended to the | wall—with the exception that she carried nothing in her bends. It was close by the angle of au outhouse tbat he beheld her: she was gazing up at his window—the moonbeams tell full upon her countenance—he could even behold them reflected in the luminous depths of her eyes—he could dis- tioguish how vividly they set forth the ivory whiteness of her teeth between the rich vermi- lion of her lips. And yet it was for barely half a dozen seconds that she thus remained in sight: she looked as if she were gazing ruund the corner of that outbuilding up at Charles De Vere, and sently succeeded; and in less than half-an-hour slumber once more stole upon his eyes. How long he had slept he could not tell, when he was awakened by the renewed violent clattering of a horse’s feet :—he started up in such a sudden fright that the perspiration burst out in large drops upon his brow, and he could hear his h+art palpitating as if it were with a series of concus- sions of some tremendous internal pump. A steed was evidently being gallopped fuviously and madly ‘towards the house; and the sounds terminated | with that species of crash which is caused by the abrupt pulling-up of a horse by a reckless rider. Then all was still again. Some moments elapsed —we might almost say minutes—before Charles De Vere could so far compose his ideas as to give way to deliberate reflection; for the most coun- rageous individual in existence will necessarily experience this species of panic terror when so suddenly startled up from the depths of a profound slumber. “Now, after all,” said Cherles to himself, “ what has all this got todo with meP If there | were any intention to deliver me up into the hands of justice, the proceeding would not be conducted with a din and a clatter only too well calculated to fill me with alarm and cause me to escape from the house. No! it is something which I cannot uno- that when she was fully assured he looked at her | derstand, and into which I have no business to she beat a retreat. He dropped the curtain, and retired to his | roof! eouch—not immediately to re-enter it, but to re- flect anew upon what had just taken place, What meant the tramplings of that steed? who was de- parting from the house? was it villany to be per- petrated elsewhere upon others—or treachery to be consummated towards himself ?—was the qua- droon in the garden to keep a watch upon his (our hero’s) chamber ? or was her conduct tantamount to some overture which only awaited the response from himself? Bewildered what to think—full of misgivings, yet scarcely hiking to acknowledge them unto him- self, much less to give a more serious expression to them by any such proceeding as issuing from his chamber and demanding explanations, s,— Charles sat thinking what surmises to arrive at and what course to adopt. But all was again silent; and the influences of those mysterious incidents began to subside from his mind—so that he said to him- self, “ After all, 1 am unmolested—lI have received every proof of the most delicate attention, oie | : help reflecting on them in all their details, penetrate, —a guest as I am beneath a hospitable Let me compose myself to slumber again!” De Vere wiped the perspiration from his brow, and his head was once more reclined upon the pillow. But this time sleep did not so readily re- visit his eyes; for notwithstanding all his good resolutions, and the charitable constructions which he sought to put upon passing incidents, he could while the mysterious language which had fallen from the lips of John the groom in the stables seemed to form a most suspicious association with those incidents. Yet after a while weariness and exhaustion again invoked the presence of slum- ber; and his senses were again steeped in obli- vion. Again too was he ignorant of how long he might have slept,—ignorant likewise was he of what the exact circumstance was which caused his awaken- ing—whether a sound falling upon his ear ora hand being laid upon him; but certain it is that he once more started up in sudden aftright. Tho wax taper had gone out; but the moon was shiniog to the extent of preparing my wardrobe for to- Wein ena ‘he had left the curtain partially morrow ! All this hospitality has been afforded | drawn back after he had looked from the window wne without so much as my very name being de-| at the time when he had seen the quadroon lady in raanded, Now, it is all either most gloriously | the garden. If! night penetrated into his chamber; and now he magnanimous or most hideously treacherous! the former, I have no right to take the slightest | notice of whatsoever is passing witbin these walls. But, if on the other hand, it be the latter, vainly may i hope to struggle against it !”” Charles still reflected for a few moments ; and then he ejaculated, ‘Let us bope that it is all the former—the most magnanimous hospitality !” Then yielding to the naturally generous im- pulses of his heart, he stifled all other considera- tions—banished all misgivings—crushed all sus- picions beneath the iron heel, so to speak, of his own strong will; and returning into bed, did his best to compose himself to sleep. In this he pre Thus the beams of the planet of the beheld a figure standing by the side of his couch. An ejaculation burst from his lips: it was the word “ Treachery !” which was thus suddenly vociferated ; aud he made a spring towards that form. The fizure glided away—it disappeared from his view— and he heard the door of the chamber close, but ;not with violence. He was out of bed—he was rushing towards the door, when he stopped short, asking himself if it were all a dream or if it were a reality? He placed his band upon his brow, aod reflected in the most painful bewilderment. He strove to re- collect what semblance the figure wore: but ho cComichook S|