Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 395: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. Step f “Yes: it was immediately after Clifford fell.” ‘t'You bade me and the self-styled Mr. Go- dolphin fiy—we obeyed you—we started in dif- ferent directions—but it was destined that we were to meet again.” “Ah!” said Hector. ‘“ You met again P But not that same night, surely ?” “That same night—within the same hour— and at no very great distance from the scene of the duel. But you are sure that you have not before heard of this ?” “ How could I,” asked Hector, “ when I tell you that I have not seen that young female since the night of which you are speaking? Pray there- foré tell me what happened.” “T found the poor disguised girl leaning sgainst a gate, evidently overpowered by her feel- ings i “Indeed? And then I suppose she confessed to you that che was of the gentler sex—or perhaps she fainted in your arms—or you conjectured itP” Nothing of all this,’ interrupted Hailes. “I firmly believed her to be Mr. Godolphin, whom I looked upon a6 a young, timid, trembling strip- liog who never ought to have been dragged into euch a dilemma. I took her with me to a house at no great distance: I was well known at the place—for the fact is, [kept a mistress there i, “ And you introduced the young woman to your mistress? you left them together?” “ How deuced fast you ate getting on!” ex- claimed Hailes. “ Of course I introduced them: but I thought at the time that Mr. Godolphin was revsily what he was represented: I was still ignorant of the mystery. Thete was but ono cbawber which. could be placed at our disposal; and—and—can’t you imagine the rest ?” “No,” said Hector: and if Hailes had not been stirring the fire at the moment, he would have been struck by the sombre expression of his companion’s countenance, “Nor” he cried with a laugh. ‘“ Why, how was such ah adventure to terminate otherwise than it actually did? In plain terms, the position was such—circumatances combined so singularly —that—that the delusion could be no longer sus- tained ; and lo and behold! your Mr. Godolphin turned out to be a female!” * Aud co it was then that you made the disco- very?” said Hardress. ‘ Well, perhaps you—— But tell the tale after your own fashion.” ‘There is nothing more to tell,” rejoined Hailes,—* unless you are so dull that I must be- come éti}l more circumstantial and tell you how I was infinitely delighted with the discovery. I wanted something to cheer and amuse me—I was depressed and horrified at the recollection of the tragedy r ** And therefore,” said Hardress, with a forced laugh, ‘‘ you took advantage of the piece of good luck which was thus thrown in your way ?” ‘Of eouree I did. The girl pretended to be coy and bashful: but I was not to be duped any more: I knew very well that there could be neither modesty nor morality to any extraordinary extent on the part of a young female who dressed nercolf up in male apparel and plunged headlong into such adventures. Thero was certainly one thing which surprised me at the time, and which I bad since forgotten until now s LPO AE I LIPO STE eRe ere eh OE St eet To Pe TR nt & perpen ae a eae ea —_—$——_—— “And what was that P” inquired Hardress, “Oh! only that on the following morning my fair companion sent a note, by my misttess Lisetta, to your wife: but I accounted for it by the supposition that you had on the preceding evening introduced the girl to Mrs. Hardress when you were setting out to fight the duel.” “Yes—it was something of the sort—I forget exactly how it happened now,” stammered Hector, whose breast was a perfect pandemonium faging with the fiercest and darkest passions, ‘“ Ono ia compelled to do extraordinary or unpleasant things under particular circumstances. But I shall leave you now for the present I have some little bu- siness to attend to in Boulogne We shall see each other again in the evening.” “ T shall be very happy,” answered Hailes. “I have no other acquaintances in the towh, and should be dull if you were not to look in upon me for half-an-hour or so.” Meanwhile Cesario, the genteel-looking valet, had superintended the conveyance of his young master’s luggage to his bed-chamber; and he was passing along a corridor on his way to the room which kad been allotted to his own use, when he beheld a lady issue from a neighbouring apartment. He stepped politely aside to make way for this lady, when he was struck by her countenance. He gazed upon her earnestly; and @ singular expres- sion seized upon his features as he seemed to re- copnise the face of the lady of whom we are speaking. She did not notice the sensation which her presence thus produced: she merely flunga transient glance upon the handéome genteel-looking valet; and she continued her way along the cor- ridor. Sho was descending the &tairs to seck the sitting-apartment, when she was met by Hector Hardress, who was springing up those stairs two or three steps at a time. * Ah, Josephine ?” he said: “’tis well met! I want to speak to you particularly.” “To me, Hector P” and the young lady started, turned pale, and even appeared to stagcer back a pace or two. “Yes—to you. Where is your room? We had better be alone together—I do not want to speak before Cicely for the present.” Josephine Hardress threw a frightened look of inquiry upon her brother: then a strange expres- sion, woe-begone and desperate, settled upon her naturally handsome countenance; and she led the way to her own apartment, into which she was closely followed by Hector. Whether it were that Andrew Hailes’s genteel. looking valet, Cesario, had some important reason for watching the movements of Josephine Hardress —or whether it were that he was inspired only by a feeling of impertinent curiosity ve are unable at this moment to decide: but ceriain if is thet she had no sooner passed into her chamber, followed by her brother, than Cosario, gliding along from the obscurity at the other end of the passage, stole up to the door of that room, and applying his ear to the keyhole, drank in as much as he could thus possibly glean of the disedurse whieh took place inside. But leaving the valet outside the door, we mist penetrate into the room itself, and describe tho scene that now took place between tho brother and sister, Tho moment Hector had closed the dovr oO COMicloook nn} RRR co 5}