Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 399: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. self, and procure the poison in some remote and obscure quarter of the town Get small quan- tities at two or three different shops, if needful =— Multiply your precautions if you will!” “This can be done,” replied Cicely. ‘But how to conyey the poison to you? If I come to you again I might be suspected ——” “You need not come again,” interrupted Tim- perley: “everything can be otherwise arranged— aye; and in a manner that shall utterly bewilder the gaol authorities as to the person whom they are to suspect of bringing me the means of death.” “Proceed! proceed!” said Cicely, glancing to- wards her aunt, who seemed as if she were re- covering from the violent fit of affliction into which she hed fallen. “Tell your father-in-law, Lord Mendlesham, that I wish to see him particularly—tell him that he must come. Deliver this message secretly— let no one know of it besides him into whose ear it is tobe whispered. He will not refuse; and surely, surely, Cicely, you have tact enough to iaduce him on some pretext or ancther to become the bearer of a small packet? Tell him it is snuff anything, in short——”’ “ Yes—this can be managed, no doubt!” said Cicely. ‘But one word more!” “Ah!” interjected the prisoner, with one of those half-sinister significant looks which were so characteristic of him. “I understand you! Call upon Mr. Campbell, the lawyer next door to my house in Lincoln’s Inn Fields—and he will show | you the draft of the deed which has been duly prepared and which only requires my signature. The instant that Lord Mendlesham shall have been to me, I will send for Campbell and will | sign the paper. Butif you deceive or disappoint me, I will leave everything in such a way that at your aunt’s death it shall go to a hospital! Now do you understand me ?” I do. It is a bargain,” replied Cicely; “ and you may reckon upou my share of the compact being fulfilled. I shall not see you again—though ! > es a matter of course we shall presently part as if I were to return in a few days.” “Hush! your aunt!” “Cicely my dear,” said Mrs. Timperley. “I hope that you have been administering consola- tions “Mothing can be more consoling,” interrupted the lawyer, “es than the discourse which I have had with Cicely. She is a good girl—and whatever may happen tu me, Mrs. Timperley—whether now or later—whether as the result of this unfortunate business, or in the ordinary course of nature, Cicely must inherit everything we possess !” * Don’t talk of it now, Thomas! don’t talk of it now!’ sobbed the lady: with apother outburst of grief, during which Timperley bent a look of the most sinister signifcancy upon Mrs. Hardress, whispering in a low hoarse woice, “ Remember, Cicely! take care of the game you play! A for- tune is at stake for you!” “Tf I did not mean to fulfil my pledge, I should tell you so candidly at once,’ ' replied Cicely. “And now, my dear,” said the prisoner to his wife, “I think you had better leaye me for the present, and take dear Cicely away with you. She is much sffected—— fn fact, we are ail three affected 391 “When shall we come again?” sobbed Mrs, Timperley. “When? Oh! the day after to-morrow, at about the same time,” rejoined the prisoner. ** And now good bye, good bye.” It was thus that he cat short the leave-taking, as if it were something more than his feelings could endure; and as the turnkey came to open the door of the cell, Cicely exclaimed in a voice which sounded as if it were broken with griet, “We shall come again, uncle, the day after to- morrow.” In tke evening Mrs. Hardress— dressed in the plainest attire, and wearing a thick veil over her countenance — descended the private staircase which led from the vicinage of her boudoir down into the garden, and to which allusion has before been made in those chapters that treated of the circumstances attending the duel which terminated so fatally for Theodore Clifford. Thus disguised, Mrs. Hardress visited three or four chemists’ shops in different parts of the metropolis; and at each she purchased a very small quantity of laudanua, pretending that it was for the toothache. Inno instance was the quantity thus purchased suffi- cient to destroy life; and as if the precautions thus taken were not sufficient, Cicely shifted a black mantle over her shawl, or the shawl over the mantle, and changed her black yeil for a green one, in the intervals between the visits which she paid to the respective chemists’ shops, Finally she returned to the villa at Bayswater, confident that she had accomplished the undertaking with- out incurring the slightest suspicion of any sinister design, or leaving a clue to the detection of who she really was. But here we must take leave of Mrs. Hardress for the present, and follow in the footsteps of her husband Hector, who had set off to pay a visit to Andrew Hailes at the same time that Ciccly had gove to see her aunt in Lincoln’s Inn Fieids, and subsequently her uncle in Newgate. Mr. Hailes was seated in his apartment at the hotel where he had taken up his quarters. A very handsome French dressing-gown loosely wrappod his form, as he sat, or rather half reclined himself in an easy chair; for he was smoking a meer- schaum after luncheon, this being about two o’clock in the afternoon. There was a small ante- room, in which Hector Hardress found the valet Cesario leaning with a negligent air on the win- dow-sill, and looking down into the street; so that be did not immediately observe the visitor’s pre- sence, the outerdoor of the suite having stood open. Ts your master within?” demanded Hector, speaking in Italian; for he was not aware that the valet understood Hasglish. Cesario turned towards him, and for a moment gave a start and flung a strange look upon Hec- tor: but the latter, thinking it was merely the natural confusion of the youth at being surprised in that negligent posture, took no farther heed of the circumstance. * Yes, signor—my master is within;” and im- mediately throwing open the iuner door, the valet announced the Hon. Mr. Hardress. * Ah, wy dear fellow,” cried Hailes, “I am de- lighted to see you! Pray sit down.” “We have a great ceal to talk Hector, grasping the youth’s hand. ”» about,” said lNOOLK C© 5}