Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 255: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, 247 tions and errors!—particular circumstances have created the falsest impressions! But come, and you shall see how everything will be cleared up!” In a few minutes they reached the hotel; and Lord Ormsby at once led the way up to the apart- ments where he had so recently separated from our hero’s mother. He opened the door of the inner room, Gustavus following him closely. At the first glance they beheld no one: but the next moment ejaculations of alarm burst from the lips of both as their eyes settled upon the prostrate form of a female upon the floor. This was Mrs. De Vere. They raised her :— she was in a state of unconsciousness, and the blood was trickling from a wound in the forehead. Water was sprinkled upon her face, and she soon began to recover. ‘Ab, my lord!” she said, as she slowly opened her eyes; “is it a horrible dream? Yes!—me- thought you had forbidden Charles from thiok- ing any more of your daughter as his future bride——” “Good heavens, who are you, Mr. Hargrave?” cried Gustavus, in the most bewildering astonish- ment. “Your daughter? That means Agnes Evelyn! And you therefore ¢: ‘Yes, Gustavus—yes,” said the nobleman; * you have now learnt my secret—but it need be no longer a secret from you! Mrs. De Vere, this is Mr. Barrington, Your son has been fearfully misjudged—he is innocent—he is the virtuous and well-prineipled young man you ever took him to be. Where is her” “Where is he? pressed her hand to her brow. gone !” “ Gone?” echoed both Ormsby and Gustavus, “Whither is he gone ?” “He said that there was yet one to whom he could appeal,” rejoined Mrs. De Vere; “and he fled-——Oh! I remember it all now! And my language towards him was s0 atgry and severe !” At this instant the door opened and the qua- droon burst into the apartment. She flung up her veil at the same moment; and her eyes flashed strange fires as she bent her glances upon her husband, exclaiming, “At length we meet! and it is to part no more! You will come with me. What! Mr, Hargrave?’ “Mrs, Barrington, permit me,” interjected Ormsby, ‘to have a few words of private conver- sation with you. This lady is the mother of Mr. De Vere. You see that she is ill—wounded— suffering go “Gustavus,” said Emily, turning impatiently from Ormsby, “will you come with me—yes or no?” ‘For heaven’s sake hear reason!” said Gus- tavus, “Tis you who must hear reason!” cried the quadroon. “Juisten! Itis now my turn to make propositions. My father is dead—and [I inherit his immense furtune. You may give your own wealth to your cousin and her husband, if you will: IT agree to it—I recommend it. But come you with me to Jamaica, and I make you the master of all my own riches.” “Mrs. Barrington,’ said Ormsby, “I beg and entreat that you will grant moe a few minutes in private.” Oh!”—and Mrs, De Vere “He is gone! eee ‘“ Not a minute! nota moment! not a second !” ejaculated the quadroon, sending the lightnings of her looks flashing fiercely upon the nobleman. “ I want nobody to interfere betwixt me and wy hus- band. ‘There has been already too much of all this mediation on the part of Mr. De Vere. Lam wearied of it! Gustavus, let your decision be promptly given yes or no?” “T owe it to myself, Hmily,’ replied young Barrington, with firm tone and decisive look, “ to act the dignified part of a husband and of a man. I will no longer be your slave. I will not bend to your caprices: I will not yield to your im- periousness. My answer therefore is that I will not go to Jamaica until I shall have visited Eng-~ land, to attend to my own affairs and to congratu- late my cousin on her marriage aye, and also to drop a tear upon the tomb of my deceased grandsire !” * Reflect well, Gustavus,” said Emily. “ Re- flect well,’ she repeated, in a still more sombre tone than at first, and with a more sinister light flashing in her eyes. “Emily! Emily!” ejaculated her husband ; “‘ why—why do everything you can to enlarge the gulf that is open between us, instead of doing your best to bridge it P” “Once for all, Gustavus,” said the quadroon,— “once for all, will you come—yea or nay P” “No,” he responded, firmly and decisively. She turned abruptly round; and the impression of the others was that she was about to pass rapidly away from them. But her hands clutched certain objects which she had hidden beneath her garments; and as she suddenly faced about again, she appeared with a pistol in her right hand and a small phial in hor left. “Then we dio together!” she ejaculated: and at the same instant she discharged the pistol which she levelled point blank at her husband. Gustavus bounded forward and fell headlong upon the floor. Mrs. De Vere shrieked — and Ormsby rushed towards the quadroon to snatch the phial from her hand, But in a moment she tossed the pistol away from her—she raised the phial to her lips—swallowed the contents—and then with a wild exultant cry flung the bottle upon the floor. “Wretched woman! what have you done?” exclaimed Ormsby: but these words were instan- taneously followed by a cry of joy as he beheld Gustavus Barrington spring up to his feet, for he had merely tripped over the very same footstool which had ere now thrown down Mrs. De Vere. “Emily!” he exclaimed, “would you have murdered your own husband P” A shriek pealed from her lips, as her dismayed looks were swept over the form of Gustavus, ard she saw (at least as far as she could judge) that he was not even so much as wounded, “You live! you live!” she cried: “you live to mock meP—and I die poisoned! Ob, my God!” “Poisoned P” echoed Mrs. De Vere, with a scream, “ Let assistance be summoned!” “Fear nothing, madam!” interrupted Gus- tavus: “there was no bullet in the pistol, and the contents of that phial were of the most harmless description!” “Say you sor” cried the quadroon: and hasten- MiGIoo 2 a ee ee ee, 5}