Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 221: what you’re looking at

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

‘ AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. 215 NS a Ra SS TT CT ee TR EE no ENT ean A opened the door; and she particularly noticed the fine tall figure, the style of dress, and the thick black veil concealing the countenance. While I was engaged bargaining with the young lady, my servant went out for some purpose; and lo and behold! as she was coming through Fitzroy Square on her way home, she was suddenly struck by per- ceiving the tall lady with the veil. A gentleman was following—the lady raised her veil—and then, as the light of the lamp fell upon her countenance, the features were completely revealed to the view of my servant. Whenshe came home she told me what had happened, and she described the young lady’s face.” “ Well,” said Ormsby, “and did that descrip- tion lead you to the discovery.of who the young lady was ?” “Wot at the time,’’ responded Mrs. Maddox. 6 Indeed it was only yesterday that the discovery was made. I have still got that servant-woman with me; and last evening she comes in, exclaim- ing, ‘Now I know who the young lady was.’— ‘What young lady?’ I asked, for the adventure had gone out of my mind.—‘ Why, the young lady with the black veil, upwards of a year ago,’ said the servant-woman.—‘ And who is she?” [I in- quired.—‘ Just come with me to the print-shop,’ she says, ‘and there you'll see her face exactly as I described it after I came in that night from Fitz- roy Square.’ So I went—and I not only saw the picture, but I bought one of the copies. And here it is, sir!” Thus speaking, Mrs. Maddox opened a drawer in the table; and producing a lithographic print, displayed it before the nobleman. “ Ah!” he ejaculated: for it was the likeness of the Hon. Mrs, Hardress! ““Of course you knew who she was in 8 mo- ment,”’ said Mrs, Maddox; “ because, as you are a friend of Mr. Timperley’s, you must be acquainted with his niece.” “Yes, yes,” said the nobleman: “ that is his niece Cicely !” : “The instant I found out that the young lady was the Hon. Mrs. Hardress,” pursued Mrs. Mad: dox, “ I set to work to know who the Hon. Mrs. Hardress might be. The Peeraye soon gave me that information ; and to my surprise I found that she was niece to Thomas Timperley Hsq., solicitor, of Lincoln’s Inn Fields!” “ And it was bis niece Cicely who purchased those papers from you!” ejaculated Ormsby. ‘* Ah!” he thought within himself, as a sudden light flashed upon his mind and he remembered what his daughter Agnes had told him of Cicely,— “no wonder she exercises a strong hold upon her uncle !”’ “And so you see, sir,” continued Mrs. Maddox, “that when I yesterday discovered that the young lady who came to buy the papers of me was Mr. Timperley’s niece, I began to put two and two to- gether—I thought it was very singular as “Ah! I comprehend what it is that you sus- pected !” said Ormsby. “ You thought that as Mr, Timperley’s niece came to buy up the papers, it was on account of that letter which he had written to Mrs, Chicklade P” ‘No doubt of it!” ejaculated the woman: “it is all as clear as daylight! I do not wish to be rude, sir, in speaking of your friend ‘a “What! Timperley my friend?’ exclaimed Ormsby. “Ob, no! Heaven forbid!” “Then who are you P” inquired the woman, now turning deadly pale even through her rouge. “No matter whol am!” replied Ormsby. “Suf- fice it for you to know that I am not the friend of Timperley.” “But what have I done ? what have I done?” cried Mrs. Maddox, wringing her hands, “ Per- haps you are an Officer of justice? Ah, I thought I had seen you before !—it struck me there was something in your look that was not altogether un- known to me!” ‘“No—I am not an officer of justice,” said Ormsby ; “ and I do not know that you have very much to fear hs ** But why did you tell me you were a friend of Mr. Timperley? It was shameful! You have taken scandalous advantage of me !” “T confess that your complaint is not altogether unfounded,” said the nobleman; “ and it would really be unpardonable if I were to leave you in any painful uncertainty. No, no! I willnot! So far from suffering for what you have told me, you shallbe rewarded. And you canstill farther serve me perhaps,” added Ormsby in a musing tone. *“But who are you, sir?” asked the woman: “ why did you play me such a trick? how did you know that I had written to Mr. Timperley to beg him to call on me this evening or to-mor- “ [knew nothing beyond what your own lips have uttered,” replied Ormsby. “I called to make a particular inquiry—an inquiry totally uncon- nected with Mr, Timperley 2 “And what is that inquiry?” demanded Mrs, Maddox. “ About twenty years ago——— you see I am going back to a remote date + “Twenty years ago?’ echoed Mrs, Maddox. “How did you know that I lodged here twenty years ago?” “7 did not know it. There! your own lips have told it to me!—and in the same way was it that you went on speaking about Mr. Timperley in a manner that afforded me a clue 3 “ Yes, yes—I see that now !” said the woman. “ But twenty years ago you were speaking of that remote date did I know you then P” *T cannot tell—I should think not,” Ormesby. “Yes, yes—I am almost convinced that I have seen you before! Why, twenty years ago ” “There was a young female living in this house,” said Ormsby,—‘ one in whom [ took an interest a “‘T remember !” cried Mrs. Maddox, holding up her hands in astonishment. “ You mean Lucy Maitland !” “T do. What has become of her ?” “Oh! she went away almost immediately after you came to see her. [ recollect it all well enough now! She was a good girl—she had been seduced —she was in a way to become a mother—but she would not turn into the pathway of crime. Yes— those were her very words! I recollect them as if it was but yesterday they were spoken! And she said that you had saved her !” “ Did she mention my name ?” asked Ormaby. “ No—but she told me that she knew it: she said (Ee) lNOOLK co S|