Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 396: what you’re looking at

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

388 he confronted Josephine, saying with all the ab- tuptness of an accusation that was intended to surprise the accused into an admission of the truth, ‘‘Uobappy girl! you are ina way to be- come a mother!” Josephine coloured—then sat down upon a sofa —and gazed with a sort of vacancy upon her brother, without uttering a word. “You know that it is so,” proceeded Hector : “but after all, your position is not a desperate one. No—there is a hope—nay, more, if the affair be well managed there is acertainty that you may become an honourably wedded woman Yes, and wedded too to the father of the child which you beer in your bosom !” “ Ah!” ejaculated Josephine; and then she in- quired, “ But how did you find out all this?” “First tell me, Josephine, whether I am right in supposing that in naming Andrew Hailes I mention the individual who is bound to make you an honourable woman?” “Yes—’tis he!” ejaculated the Hon. Miss Hardress. “ Now I see that you know everything! But how ?” “Andrew Hailes is here. He arrived at the hotel just now I have been conversing with him. But answer me one question, Josephine! In the morning after you passed the night with that young man, you sent a message to Cicely ?” ““Yes—a note. It was to assure her that I had chanced to find a respectable iodging, and to beg that she would let my father snd mother suppose ‘that I had been staying with her—that I was ill and excited on account of hearing of the duel—and that she had sat up with me all night.” “True! I know that Cicely gave such an ac- count in order to screen you,” observed Hector. “And you assure me that Cicely remained in ignorance of the real manner in which you passed that night P” “Most assuredly, Think you that I should have confessed it? No! But tell me,” asked Josephine, quickly, “does Cicely suspect any- thing ?” “She suspects that you are in a way to be- come a mother; and now of course she must be told everything!” “Told everything?” echoed Josephine, almost with a scream of terror. ‘ What! would you tell her that when your shot failed to level tbe villain Theodore Clifford, it was my hand which then did the fatal work? Oh! will you tell Cicely this? need it be meutioned toa third person that you gave me a pistol—that I concealed it under my cloak—that I discharged it? Ob, Hailes himself proclaimed at the instant that he fancied he heard the report of a third weapon !” “Hush! for God’s sake hush!” interrupted Hector impatiently: for his sister had gone on with increasing excitement and vehemence as in imagination she contemplated the terrible tragedy _ in the enactment of which she had borne so large & part. “ Ah! I was inceutious!” she said, flinging her frightened looks sround the room; “ for the very walls have ears to drink in the confession ofsuch a hideous crime as this !” “Be reasonable, Josephine! be composed! It is not neceseary that Cicely should learn the ome fact whereynto you bave been alluding, Itisa AGNES; OBR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, secret that must subsist entirely between you and me! Aye, even when you become the wife of young Hailes—a consummation which must be brought about—you will be careful ever to retain the seal of secrecy upon your lips! But what £ just now meant in respect to Cicely, was that we must entrust her with the secret of all that passed between Hailes and yourself; because it may be possible that her succour may be needed in order to bring about the match which is nowso de- sirable. And after all it will not be a bad one for you, Josephine—at least in a pecuniary sense. His uncle is dead—he has got eight thousand a year— and though it will be an awkward thing for you to become a mother six months or so after mar- riage “Ah!” said Josephine, bitterly ; “my life was destined to be one of shame, and crime, and de- gradation! Think you that on the memorable night to which we have been eo frequently alluding —think you that immediately after that tragedy, with the spectacle of the murdered man before my mental vision, I was so carried away by wanton passions that I willingly or readily abandoned my- self to the arms of that young man? Notso! I was crushed by a complication of circumstances—I was thrown into his power—left at his mercy! I implored and entreated that he would be generous and forbearing: he laughed at my prayers—and— and—I dared not resist—the police were about the premises—there was one who dwelt beneath the very roof itself—or else who was a visitor there—I forget which But I was beset with the direst terrors—the gibbet itself seemed to be looming in the distance—I dared not cry out, nor draw attention thither . “Enough! enough, Josephine!” interrupted — Hector. “ Yetone word more! Am [I to under- stand that Hailes used violence ?” “ Again I ask,” demanded Josephine, almost indignantly, “if you think that I was so depraved ‘—so lost to all sense of decency as to yield to wanton feelings on such an occasion as that ?” “Tt is now, therefore, all the more certain,” said Hardress, gloomily, “that Andrew Hailes must become your husband! But the business sball be managed with caution and with policy. Cicely and I will cross over to England to-morrow morning; and Hailes shall accompany us. You must remain behind: you can follow on the en- suing day. Leave all the rest to me.” A little more conversation took place between the brother and sister; but it is not necessary to place it on record; and the very instant that Hec- tor approached the door in order to issue from that chamber, Cesario, who had been listening the whole time at the keyhole, glided noiselessly away towards the extremity of the passage. Hector proceeded to rejoin his wife, to whom he communicated the fact that it was as she had suspected with Josephine, and that Hailes was the author of her disgrace. He likewise explained the arrangements he had made,—adding, “I will presently introduce Hailes to you; and of course you will receive him with the utmost politeness, He need not know that my sister is with us: or if he chould happen to learn the fact, we can easily inform him that she is confined by indis- position to her chamber. They must not meet wntil we are in London, For we can do nothing (EO) LNOOLK (©) 5}