UC-NRLF a93 $B Sbl M54 <3: ■,t"-,. http://www.archive.org/details/eveofstagnesmodeOOIond y ■r TT^mrmrr THE INFANT AGNES, FOUND ON THE SOFA li V MH. ! i: V : f'uie jiii;e OP a SBoHern Ceile .: j WHICH REALLY .tiAPFEMEn. rOUKDBD ON FACTS IN HIGH LIFE, Though Sorrow on our steps attend, Be Hope our guiding-st^r and friend ; And should Despair our hearts assail, Oh ! let this cheering truth prevail O'er its attacks — There is a Power Can change our fortune in an hour, And raise us from a low abyss To gcenei of most exatic bliss. BY A FAVORITE AUTHOR. LontJont PRINTKO FOR THE COMPANY OF BOOKSEXLKRS Price SiiPpence* • • t ; •• THr 0be o( §atnt sagne^, IT was on the eve of Saint Agn^^? iq the year .on©' thousand seven hundred and seveat^-b ihd, "that a m&^t' respectable party were assemWed -at. Mr*.elyw;o\s, -^^ gentleman in possession of a ' larg-e, ^ni iinh^mlj^^t fortune, residing in an elegant retirement near Old Windsor to celebrate the forty-sixth return of his natal day. The table had just been cleared of the'remains of an elegant supper, and the guests with their hospitable entertainers, encircled the blazing fire, listening to a inirth inspiring tale from the lips of a facetious worthy baronet, Sir Marcus Conyers, when a loud knocking at the hall door caused much surprise, for the clock had some time announced the midnight hour. One of the serx'^ants entered and informed his master that a lady waited in the front parlour, who wished to see him on a sudden emergency, to which great im- portance was attached. " Surely, James," said Mr. Irwin, in an angry'accent " }ou did not at this time of night give admittance to a stranger ! — V\ hat is the lady's name V •* I did not open the door, sir," replied the footman; '* nor was it the fault of them that did; for no sooner was the Jock, pulled back, than the lady rushed in and intreated in such urgent terms, to see our master, that we thought we should do wrong by refusing her request.'' *' Did you ever see her before, James? — answer my questions instantly,'' said Mr. Irwin with vehemence. 8 THE EVE OF ST. AGNES. ** I never did sir, I am certain she is a perfect stranger to me," *< Follow me then," said Mr. Irwin. " You shall not go," said his lady; but she spoke too late; he was already descending the stairs with Sir Marcus, to whom he had given a signal to accompany him. Consternation succeeded surprise for on opening the parlour door, it was discovered that the intruder had left the apartment by meansof a window that opened on the lawn ; but the room was not vacant, a baby of about two months old, lay asleep on the sofa, unconscious of its deserted state, and the ardent gaze of strangers. . , T,he gentle,nje,n I.O;oi[ed at each other for some minutes hi sifent amAz<3mehi. ' Sir Marcus was the first of the pair who recovered tlhe- powers of speech sufficient to . )ht<^rr.og?ito i6qbu;tlf^:and James, the only domestics wJqo hail '^een the triidhight visitant, as to her dress and other important particulars. Both the men persisted in declaring that the lady had no child with her when she entered at the hall door, that her hands were perfectly free from any burthen, nor did her dress, which was light, elegant, and fashionable ad- mit of any concealment. They declared the person of the lady was a stranger to them, yet to their mutual astonishment, she appeared perfectly acquainted with the house, for passing the break fast- parlour she entered the one appropriated to dinner, and desired James to apprize Mr. Irwin of her wish to see him, and supposing the lady to be some near relation, or particular friend of the family ^s, that could venture Jo come at such an hour, he h^tened to obey hen Mr. Irwin and Sir Marcus agreed, that though the men were certainly, imprudent in leaving the fair stran- ger by herself, yet no serious blame could be attached to them, and then ordered the remainder of the men servants to join these two in pursuit of the fugitive. His commands were instantly obeyed ; and Mr. Ir- win raising the still sleeping infant in his arms, exclaim- ing *'Thou at least art no imposter;" ascended with his innocent burthen to the drawing-room, accompa* nied by his friend Sir Marcus. THE EVE OF ST. AGNES. 9 It is impossible for the weak eJBforts of the pen to do justice, and delineate, with full effect, the scene that ensued, from the explanation given by the gentlemen Mrs. Irwin was almost mad with jealous fury, her wor- thy husband striving in vain to appease her by assu- rances of what certainly was the truth, his innocence and ignorance of the whole transactionj save what had been related. The war of words was at length suspended by one of the ladies remarking that it would be judicious to inves- tigate the infaiit's clothes, as there possibly might be concealed among them some papers that might cast a light on this dark and unpleasant aiFair. Mr. Irwin thanked his fair friend for this suggestion and tenderly entreated his wife to undress the baby ; but she scornfully refused to touch the brat ; and rising up, declared her intention of ringing for the housemaid to perform that office ; but Susanna Sedgely had al- ready taken the infant on her knee, and divested it of its upper robe. She noted the frowning aspect of the lady hostess, and with a sweet smile, peculiar to hot benign countenance;, said, " Mrs. Irwin^ I mustintre^t you to excuse me, and attribute what I am now do- ing to the prying curiosity for which antiquated mai- dens have long been proverbial." Mrs, Sedgely soon produced a paper that she had dis- covered carefully pinned to the child's inner garment Mr. Irwin took it, and favoured his attentive auditors with the contents. ** The little girl thus thrown on your protection, (and if you refuse it shelter, on the mercy of the world) is not the offspring of illicit love: Tae fatal afFc'ction of the unfortunate parents of this poor innocent has re- ceived the sanction of the church ; they fondly looked forward to the period, when Shaking off the manacles of secrecy and restraint, they might appear vthat they reaUy were, and attend to their offspring with all the delight and fond endearments chaste wedded love can bestow ; but their hopes are blighted, alas^! for ever; they must carefully veil the past in oblivion; and the miserable authors of her being will not, ah J dare not 10 THE EVE OF ST, AGNES. acknotvledge the little darling they now cast from them, with a regret that can never wholly cease but with existence. The parents are personally strangers to Mr. Irwin and his lady, but their opulence and ex- tensive charity, and above all other indu<;ienients, their having no offspring of their own, caused this step to be taken. May they fulfil the anxious wishes of an anxious father and mother, and God*s choicest bles- sings reward them 1" The company appeared much alFected by this appeal, but the obdurate Mrs. Irwin, vehemently declared she would send the child to the parish workhouse, as soon as it was light, and let the churchwardens settle the af- fair, for she would not be made the credulous tool of some base romantic wanton. Mr. Irwin generously endeavoured to soften the heart of his lady towards the little foundling; but she was not to be moved, and persisted in her determination with adamantine firm- ness. The convivial harmony of the party appearing like- ly to terminate in domestic altercation of the most un- pleasant nature ; the guests prepared to withdraw, with the exception of Sir Marcus Conyers and Mrs. Sedgely who seemed much interested in the fate of the Infant, when the entrance of the servants who had been sent out to search for the lady, caused them to resume their seats. They had been wholly unsuccessful ; for the fair fugitive had managed too adroitly to allow them the least traces of her retreat from the outer [gate, though they could clearly discern, that she had an as- sistant in this affair ; for the print of a man^s footsteps were legible with her's acrossthe lawn, and it seemed probable that he had conveyed the child to her through the parlour window, and they then eflfected their re- treat together. The servants were dismissed: and an altercation again commenced between Mr. and Mrs. Irwin, regarding the support of the child. " Cease dis« puting, my dear friends," exclaimed Mrs. Susanna Sedgely, ** I have made up my mind. My income, it is true, is rather too confined to admit of such an ad- dition to my domestic establishment, but economy, strictly exerted; will enable me to gratify my whim. THE EVE OF ST. AGNES. h Henceforth the child is mine. I am of an age to defy the shafts of censure, and to silence the voice o£ scandai.^^ " Call it not a whim," said Sir Marcus; **it is an act of pure benevolence, tbat adds lustre to the amiable and exemplary character you have always borne, You must allow me to present this little foundling with a wardrobe ; and as I am an old bachelor, am certainly no judge of these articles, I must trouble you to be my proxy in the purchase ;'*'' and with these words the good Baronet presented JVJrs. Sedgely with a bank note for thirty pounds, which she received with ineiFable grace. Mr. Irwin grasped the hand of the little Infant, and fervently congratulated her on the good fortune she had met with, several of the company followed his exam* pie; but Mrs. Irwin, vexed at a conduct she had not a heart to imitate, (for her charities were only those of an ostentatious nature) very cooly joined in the topic, and it being announced, that Mrs. Sedgely's servant was waiting for her in the hall, the good lady departed with the infant daughter of her adoption. The above circumstance naturally gave rise to a num- ber of conjectures in the neighbourhood, and the affair was strictly canvassed^ yet even suspicion had nothing to build on ; no young lady in the vicinity had been con^ fined by an ostensible indisposition, nor made a visit from home, and the niore the alfair was thought on, the more mysterious it appeared. Bui this wonder, like most other wonders, did not last in full force above nine days; it then faded gradually awaj, and at last was seldom honoured with a thought. No mention having been made of the name of the child in the written paper, nor the least hint that it had been baptized, Mrs. Sedgely determined tohave that necessary rite performed without delay. Sir Marcus Cony ers was godfather, and the good lady, with the rector's amiable wife, were the tvvo female sponsors, and a writteti paper describing every particular, date, &c. of the infant's introduction to Mrs. Sedgely 's no- tice was drawn up, and properly attested by several witnesses of that memorable ev^nty and placed in the . clergyman's hands. 12 THE EVE OF ST. A.GNES. It being the eve of St, Agnes on which the little girl was deserted by her natural protectors, the child received that name, to which, by the desire of Mrs Sedgelj, St. Eustace was added out of a tender remem- brance to a person deceased, who had once been most deservedly dear to her. Agnes St. Eustace gave early indications of superior beauty, and her mental capacity and excellent disposi- tion afforded the most exquisite delight to her liberal benefactors. Sir Marcus Conyers was never weary of nursing her, and attending to the prattle of his little fairy, for by that appellation he often called his favorite ; his visits to Mrs. Sedgely's were very frequent on her account, and ultimately led to a very unexpected event one that never would have taken place, had not their mutual solicitude concerning their infant j)rG^e^e cemented a firm and still increasing confidence and friendship. They had both in their youthful days, been the victims of disappointment where they had fixed their fondest hopes and valuable affections, and they had both formed what they then thought the most stable resolutions ne- ver to depart from the calm solitude of a single life. Sir Marcus and the worthy Susanna had been neigh- boars for nearly five years previous to the introduction of Agnes, and no idea of a union had entered their heads ; they had met at several parties, entertained a high opinion of each other's conversation, and those qualities vvhich reflect a lustre on society, and there it rested ; but the frequent intercourse that now subsisted between them, brought them perfectly acquainted with each other's domestic virtues, and a thousand excellencies presented themselves to view. Sir Marcus after due deliberation made an offer of his hand, and he at first met a refusal ; but it was not given in so stern a manner ajs to deter him from repeating it ; and Sir Marcus, in his fifty- eighth year, led Mrs. Susanna, in her forty-ninth to the altar o^ Hymen. Thisjwas a marriage founded on|pure esteem and friendship, and a mutual desire to render happy the winter of their days. The arrangements for ths well assorted nuptial were by them conducted with such privacy that nc' one, Mr. Irwin excepted, and a THE EVE OF ST. AGNES, 13 friend of the baronet who came from London to be present at the ceremony^ had the least idea of what was going; forward ; it was therefore a topic of sur- prise to the elegant circle around them; nor were there a few spinsters who envied Lady Conyers, and expressed their wonder why the prefeience was given to her. Agnes was now in her fourth year, and this marriage gave increase to her juvenile pleasures ; she was blest with the constant society of her two best friends, and treated in every respect as if she was their own child. This caused her to be regarded with much attention by their guests ; for they began to conjecture that she would be heiress to the worthy pair; ev«n Mrs. Irwin whose suspicions had now been removed from her hus- band to another quarter, relaxed from her accustomed sternness of deportment towards the interesting little foundling; and, on the following eve of St. Agnes, con ; descended so far as to present her with a coral neck- lace, curiously clasped by a small pair of gold doves of exquisite woikmanship, and invited her to pass a week with some young relations of her own, who were coming from town to spend the remainder of their holidays. This term was, however^ abridged to three days; for both Sir Marcus anil Lady Conyers de- clared, that they could not part with he^f for a further period, Mrs, Irwin was nearly allied to a noble family; her father being the second and youngest brother of the late Earl of Wilmington, and her visitants were Lord Col vi lie and the Ladies Jemima and Utrecia, the chil- dren of the present Earl. His lordship, who was the eldest of the innocent trio, had only attained his ninth year, Agnes soon became a decided favourite with him, and he declared it to be his opinion, that Miss St Eus- tace was a better playfellow than either of his sisters, for Jemima was so prim, and afraid of her dress, and Utrecia liked too much her own way. He was sorry when the three days elapsed for her return to Blossom Lodge, and he used his useful eloquence to so much purpose, that he obtained from Sir Marcus a grant, though rather reluctantly given, for another day. 14 THE EVE OF ST. AGNES. The Colvilles remained a fortnigiit with Mrs. Iruin, during which time they were frequently invited to Blos- som Lodge ; and Lord Colville then returned to the house of his tutor in Golden-square, and the two ladies to a seminary conducted on a superior style near Ham- mersmith ; the children having to lament the early loss of an amiable, exemplary mother ; and the father being at present abroad in an official capacity, this mode of education had been deemed most eligible for the present. The three ensuing years passed on without any par- ticular change; the time had glided on in calm content with Agnes and her benefactors; the Colvilles had been visitors during the stated recesses allowed by their preceptors, and had always renewed their friendship with Miss St. Eustace with increase of pleasure to all parties. Lady Conyers having been indisposed with a dan- gerous nervous complaint, change of air and scene wa? recommended. Sir Marcus left to her the choice of place, and she seleoJed the IsJe of Wight. A month passed there had th(vmost salutary eft'ects; to return home was now thoughit desirable, and a day was fixed for that purpose, to the great glee of Agnes, who longed to go back to her little library, playhouse, and poultry. A family of the name ofDashwood, with whom the Conyers had contracted a desirable intimacy, were quite hurt at the thoughts of qui ting Cowes, and by way of taking an impressive farewell, a party on the water was proposed, in a pleasure yacht belonging to Mr. Dashwood. The weather was exactly what might be wished for such a purpose, and they had a most plea- sant sail; their repasts was elegant, and rendered ad- ditionally pleasant by a small band of harmonious mu- sic, which was stationed on board. All the company were in charming spirits, and none more so than Lady Conyers. Alas! human pleasure is fleeting and uncer- tain; one moment we are at the zenith of blissful de- light, and the next dreadful reverse plunged into the loweiit abyss of despair. Thus it occurred with our aquatic party. On their return, a storm, violent as it was rsudden, arose, and upset the yacht; most for- tunately, relief was instantly afforded from the sur- THE EVE OF ST. AGNES. U roanding vessels, and not a soul perished but the poor little cabin-boy. Bat the ill effects of the accident did not end here : Lady Conyers received a shock from Trhich she never recovered; cold chills were succeeded by burning heats alternately ; her nerves' were shattered, and reason at intervals forsook her throne ; she wished to return home, but to remove her from the Isle of Wight was impossible, for the very mention of crossing to Southampton would throw her into convulsions ; and after lingering in the most excruciating sufferings for nine weeks, she expired in the arms of the sorrowing Sir Marcus, while one of her hands was affectionately pressed to the bosom of Agnes | the benign looks the dying lady cast on them fully testified her sense of their love and attentions, and the consolation they gave her, even in the pangs of death ; she found it hard to part from these truly beloved objects ; but the Christian tri- umphed over the woman, and she resigned her soul into the hands of him who created it without a murmur. The principal of Lady Conyer's fortune, at her de- fease, became the property of a relation ; but the re- serves she had made (and since her marriage with Sir Marcus they bad not been inconsiderable) had, at the co??imencement of her first illness, been settled, with the full consent of the worthy baronet, on Agne? St. Eustace. The sensibility she had shewn, during every period of the late lady's aflflictions, served to endear her closer to his heart, and he made a number of re- solutions in her favour. He returned to England as soon as decency would f>ermit ; for the beautiful scenery of the island where he had lost her he held so dear was now grown hate- ful to him; they repaired immediately to Bath, and, ffiter a stay of a few weeks, finally settled at Blossom Lodge. How different were the sensations of Agnes on returning home to what she had anticipated ; young as she was, every object reminded her of her dear mam- ma, for such she had been long accustomed to calf Lady Conyers ; her spirits were so much depressed, that it soon began to have a visible effect on her health, and Sir Marcus, by the advice of Mrs, Irwin, placed her in the same seminary with the two young ladies of the Colvilie family.^ 16 THEEVEORST.^AGIS^ES. Unfortunately for Agnes, Sir Marcus (to whom a single life was now grown intolerable (entered again * into the holy state of matrimony; biitlthe wisdom and ^ prudence that marked his first 'Choice was not now at-^ tended to; his second wife was only iwenty- two, .and possessed an uncommon share- of artifice. She bad not resided long in the vicii^ity of Blossom Lodge when shp cast her eyes on the baronet. The ill state of Lady Gonyer's health gave her hopes, and by means of a lady to whom she was related, she contrived to get in- timate with the family ; and her attentions to Agn^s, on whom she was always lavishing little gifts, soon caused her to be a great favourite with Sir Marcus and his amiable wife ; she had the hypocrisy to insist on sitting up occasionally with Lady Conyers, administered the medicines with her own hand; when her ladyship re- covered so far as to be able to proceed to the Isle of Wight, no one was louder or more frequent in their coi)gratulations than Miss I'heodosia Rivers, though the sincere wish ;of beart was to have her laid in the silent grave. The fatal accident that occurred, left Sir Marcus a prey to her wiles and stratagems : imme- diately on his.return to Blossom Jjodge, she paid visits of condolence, and won his regard by a thousand at- . tentions, trivial perhaps in themselves, but gratifying to the heart. It must be acknowledged, that the ba- ronet thought the lady rather too young; but what then ? she did not object to his age ; she was very steady, very neat in her dress, loved domestic retirement, and ' abhorred every species of dissipation. In short, he es- teemed her more prudent by far than many ladies among the circle of his acquaintance who had numbered twice the years of his Theodosia. Poor, short-sighted, in- fatuated Sir Marcus ! he did not reflect, that a title, a fortune,^ and the latent hope of soon being a widow, could be any inducement ; that, tinder the mask she had assumed^ to hidS hct natural disposition, lay a Iovj© of pleasure^ extravagance, pride, and ostentation ; and he thought himself the happiest of men, when she ho- ^ ' Mtoured hini with her hand, eleven months subsequent ; to tfic^uhetal of her predecessor. •. '^f Merrily, mefrily rang the bells, '^ ^^- 'The'bel&df tbe old church tower/^ , . . to iniioiitilse this pteposterous marriage, yet there <vere many whb [ffediefed an aching heart to the bridegroom THE EVE OF ST. AGNES, 17 ere one tvrelvemonth had winged its course. Under oiie pretence or other, the new lady soon contrived to get rid of all the old servants, and replace them with others of her own choosing ; Sir Marcus remonstrated, but it was of no use ; she asured him there was neces- sity for what she did. The furniture was exchanged for other of a modern fashion, and Blossom Lodge un- derwent so many changes, under the name of improve- ments, that the baronet was heard to observe with a sigh, that he scarce knew his own habitation; but this was not the only complaint he was heard to make ; he knew no one would pity him, that he should only meet with raillery, and he bore it all in silence, and let the gaily- dressed, highly-roughed Lady Conyerfe pursue her own way to "midnight revels and to public shews.'* That he had a wife, was painfully certain, but he had no com • panion ; and the long winter evenings grew tediously ixksomQ ; it is true, his lady had sometimes parties at home, but they were not conducted with that comfort to his feelings which had marked the hospitable enter- tainments of his late wife; he had no relish for her cold sandwiches and Ranelagh suppers, her waltzes, reels, and fandangos. «* Am I at home, or not?' he would sigh to himself, and retire to his solitary chamber.' Under this dilemma, he ventured to propose the re- turn of Agnes toJBlossom Lodge ; but this was peremp-; tori ly refused, nor Ivould she when pressed to give a reason, assign one.' Sir Marcus was justly enraged, he could bear all but this, and he mustered up courage to declare, that if she persisted in denying him the company of his dar- ling cKi id, one house should no longer hold them, nor shoufd sh^^have one shilling more from him than what • she h^ad. already obtained by deeds of raarriage-settle- ment^ This threajf rather alarmed her, though she con- cealed it under a haughty air ; and she told Sir Marcus, that if «he ga^e way to bis whim, he must accommo- date hVr with one of her's. He eagerly asked what she desired, and she replied, a draft on tiis banker for two bundred pounds, that she might buy some additional trinkets ; after some expressions of surprise and anger, he complied, and purchased leave to have his own way ^ for once. ■m THE EVE OF ST. AGNES. AgHes was delighted at (he thoughts of returning liome ; but she so©iaf<OKnd a very different home to what it forraeriy used to be. Lady Conyers harshly repressed ©very advance the poor child made to renev*^ their for- mer familiarity, and tlie latter, too young to be aware of the deceitful blandishments of interested people, wondered at the change of Lady Conyer's manner to what it was when she was Miss Rivers, In short, the behaviour of Lady Conyers was so repulsive both to her husband and the child of his adoption, that they re-" joiced at her frequent parties from home which she was constantly forming to different places. About this time, a very aged relation of the baronet's being re- mov^ed from this world to a better, he bequeathed him five thousand pounds; an unexpected legacj, as thi'y bad not seen each other or corresponded for many yeara, owing to a difference on some points in religion. Sir Marcus was frequency hea^d to declare, that Agnes should be richer for this bequest; and he turned a deaf ear to every remonstrance of his lady to enlarge their establishment on the account of this acquisition, a re- fusal that served to embitter her mind still farther against Agnes ; but she could not, though she fre- quently endeavoured by every petty stratagem her brain could invent, to prejudice the baronet against the lovely child, as he clearly saw through her motives, and des- pised them. He had the good sense to perceive, that his retain- ing Agnes at home without her learning those accom- plishments necessary to her sex and the fortune he in- tended to bestow 6n her, would be doing her a serious injury, and to part with her was a step which he could not endure even in thought; he consulted Mrs. Irwin what measure he should adopt, and that lady with great propriety recommended to his notice a clergy- man's daughter, lately left an orphan, as governeas to Agnes. The proposal was soon made to Miss Manton she had not then decided what means to adopt, and this situation seemed to her so preferable to depending on the bounty of her wealthy relations for an addition to the trifling income her parents had left her, that it was gratefully accepted with many thanks to Mr^. Irwin for her attention to her interest. THE EVE OF ST. AGNES.. l^i The addition of Miss Manton^s society at Blossom Lodge was a great acquisition ; a small suite of apart- ments was assigned her, and the once more happy Agnes ; a separate table was ordered for them, and Sir Marcus was very frequently theirguest. The young ladies Jemima and Utrecia, visited Agnes at every op- portunity, and their brother Lord Colville, who was npt now at Eaton College, was frequently an inmate, to the satisfaction of every party; for Lady Conyers, indue deference to his title, for she was servilely fond of rank and splendour, always received him with pleasure, and her self-love made her blind to what was obvious to every one else, that she was an object of his peculiar dislike, and only treated with civility on ace Mint of Sir Marcus and Agnes, and that politeness of behavioui? which is inseperable from the character of a gentlemaii when directed to the female sex. Little or no alteration took place in the state of af- fiiirsat Blossom Lodge till our heroine attained the completion of her sixteenth year. Lord Wilmington after a long absence from his native land, returned home, and his son and daughters, who had now com- pletely jBnished their education, formed a part of his . elegant establishment in Grosvenor-square. A splendid entertainment was given in consequeneo of tire Earl's return, and his lordship, at the instance of his children, to whom Agnes was deservedly dear^ sent a card to invite her to grace the festivity with her presence, and remain a month with his daughters. Agnes wished to go, yet was loath to leave Sir Mar» cus, and, after some debate with herself, resolved to send a polite refusal ; but the good baronet would not allow it, he thought the countenance of the Wilming- ton family too essential to her future welfare to be dis- regarded, and he good humoured ly insisted on her acceptance of the honor intended her. A young cot- tager named Mary to whom she had long been partial, was hired as a servant to attend her ; and Sir Marcus gave Agnes fifty pound, to answer any occasional expenoes she might have during her absence.^ On the day of Agnes' departure from Blossom Lodge Lady Conyers was. absent j she was therefore spa*^^^ 20 THE EVE OF ST. AGNES. the bumiliating scene of taking leave of that haughtj lady ; but she hung round the neck of Sir Marcus and mingled tears with his, for they both felt a degree of anguish at parting that seemed blameable, even to them- selves. She was received with the most flattering attentions in Grosvenor-square. The bail took place on the se- cond day of her arrival, and she was an object of uni* versal admiration; many noble youths intreated the honour of her hand, but Lord Colvilie retained it the whole evening; and it soon became discernable to the scrutinizing eyes of bis father, that his heart was in the possession of the loveley Agnes, The idea enraged him; he heard every particuhir concerning the find- ing of the protege of Sir Marcus, and her amiable character, and when he consented to invite her to his house, he had expected to see some little, plain, un- assuming girl, for her beauty and elegance of dejx)rt- ment had not been mentioned to him; he now blamed his own folly in not making further inquiries, and ex- ecrated the folly of the Irwins in exposing his only son to such a dangerous temptation. He kept his suspicions to himself, but narrowly watched the young people ; he perceived the fervour of his son's attachment, and it was obvious he had not fixed his affections on an object insensible to his merit. in truth, Agnes was not aware of the nature of her own sentiments ; she had certainly loved Lord Celville from early childhood, yet such was the innocent purity of her heart, she thought of it only as the love of a sister for an excellent brother. But her senses were soon painfully awakened; one morning. Lady Jemima entered her dressing room, and with many tears informed her of the sentiments of fcer father the Earl of Wilmington, that it was by his command she had thus acted, and with much reluctance acquainted the weeping girl, that his lordship's post chariot would be at the door at twelve, to convey her to Blossom Lodge. Utrecia entered with the intel!igence that she had obtained leave for herself and sister to breakfast with THE EVE OF ST. ^GNES. 2i Aa^nes, but they were then to take a final ledve, as no t^ort of correspondence would afterwards be allowedo ** Why exclairaed Agnes, with an agonizing* eraotioji i:^be could not suppress, " why am I thus treated like a worthless creature? was it not for Gonscious rectitude I should faint under this degradation/' The sisters^ endeavoured to console her by ikssurcinoes that her father considered her truly amiable, and hernumberless attractions founded the biisis of his alarm, for nothing a,jpeared more dreadful to him than the idea of his son making a disproportionate alliance in point of birth, for in that respect he only regarded fortune as a secon- dary consideration. The young ladies parted with many tears, yet Agnes cDuId not avjaid imbibing the idea that Lady Jemima inherited a great portion of her father's disposition and sentiments in regard to the topic in question ; ft;? adieus of Utrecia evidently appeared more frank, un- studied, and sincere. The journey home was melancholy, she longed to arrive there and impart her sorrows to the good Sir Marcus, whom she was apprehensive to find indisposed, for the three last letters she had addressed to him re- mained unanswered. At length the chariot stopped in front of Blossom Lodge; but what a shock awaited her ! the closed shutters announced the death of soma one of its inhabitants; the dreadful truth instantly darted across her brain, it was Sir Marcus! and the wretched Agnes »ank senseless on the bosom of the VTeeping Mary- On her recovery, she found herself reclined on a sofa . in the breakfast parlour ; Giarges, the waiting woman to Lady Cony ers, was in the room ; she was an artful creature, and a great favourite of her mistress, in whose designs, let them be of what nature they would, she was ever a willing and an active agent, and gene- rally turned her compliances to a good account on the score of interest. She now, with an air of impertinent fr^edoni, ad- dressed Agnes, " Miss St. Eustace, my lady desires me to t«U yoU; that ugw Sir Marcus is na more, for, pooc da 22 THE EYE OF ST. AGNES. dear gentleman, he expired suddenly of an apoplexj three days since, you have no longer a residence here; the small fortune which you derive from the benevo- lence of the late lady cofiyei» will, with the interest annexed to it, be paid immediately on your coming of age ; you are, however, welcome to remain at the lodge till the funeral is over, and then my lady expectss you to remove from hence, and take your wardrobe with you?' "Can I not see you*- mistress?" said the agitated, ill-treated fair one. * No, 1 am sure yoti cannot," replied Clarges ; '* ray lady pos^itively told me she would not see you ; but 1 must entreat you to tell me on what you determine." Agnes's first impulse was to quit the lodge immediately, but, on second thoughts, she reflected that such a step would imply a disrespect to the remains of Sir Marcus, and she re- solved to stay till the funeral had taken place. Her heart throbbed, even to the" peril of bursting, as she gazed on the venerable remains of him whom she had so much cause to love and esteem, and bitterly did she arraign the conduct of Lady Conyers in with- holding from her knowledge this fatal event, and thus letting it suddenly overwhelm her. When she was undressing for the night, Mary told her, that she had heard from the butler, who was sincerely sorry for his young mistress, for such he always esteemed Miss St. Eustace, that, on the sudden decease of his master, Mr. Irwin came attended by the rector, and produced a will, in which Sir Marcus had bequeathed five hun- dred a year to Agnes till she came of age, and twenty- thousand pounds to be paid to her within three months from that period, in addition to what his late wife had bequeathed her, and one half of the plate, he also or- dered several memorials for his friends, liberal moiirn- ing and legacies for the servants, and a hundred pounds to be distributed at the discretion of the clergyman among the surrounding poor ; the remainder of his pro- perty devolved to his widow, but, at her decease the principal was to revert to Agnes or her heirs. Lady Conyers treated the will with the utmost contempt ; she said, she had no doubt but the instrument was perfectly legal at the time of its execution, for the sig- nature was certainly the writing of her late husband, tmt happily for ker^ he hpd recprered frofB the ij^^tua; THE EVE OE ST- AGNES ^^ ti«n be then laboured under, and repented the injus- tice of his intended bequests, in thus limiting the for- tune of an amiable wife; then rising up with great dignity, she opened a cabinet, and took from it a sealed picket, which she requested the rector to open, inform- ing him it was a will duly executed only three days previous to the decease of Sir Marcus; it was drawn up by a notary of the name of Longford, and signed by Captain ShufHetpn and his friend Ensign Lack ian.", who were frequent visitors at Blossom Lodge, and both these gentlemen belonged to a regiment then on duty at Windsor: in this wilL it was discovered, that Sir Marcus had4eft every shilling of his vast property to his v^idow, and had barely recommended the servante and dependant^ on his bounty to her protection; to Agnes he bequeathed but fifty pounds for mourniiig, expressing in terms that implied regret for his former generosity, that enough of his fortune had already been lavished on one who had no further claims on th« bounty of himself or his late wife, than what arose from charitable emotions for her *late of deserted in- fancy, which liberality had been too much presumed ok» Agnes past anight of heartfelt agitation and sorrow ; the long period that must elapse before she came of age to receive her little fortune (which would not then amount to twelve hundred pounds) alarmed her, for she only possessed in money the fifty pounds that Sir Marcus had given her at their late fatal parting, cmd she saw the necessity there would be for her ob- taining some means of subsistence, but so young, un- accustomed to the world, and unprepared for the sud- den reverse of fortune that had befallen her, she knew not on what to determine, or how to proceed ; she pondered on the words respecting herself in the last will of Sir Marcus, she compared them with his ten- der expressions at parting, and she could no other- wise reconcile this contradiction than by supposing, that Lady Conyers had vilely, but with the success she wished for, succeeded^ by false suggestions to pojson the mind of the baronet against her, in the short space of time that had elapsed between the day of her departure from the lodge, and that of his sudden dissolution, and she was agonized at the idea of his leaving this woi^l^ with an impression of angei* against k^r, ' ?4 THE EVE OF ST. AONES. At an early hour on the day following the faneral M her dear benefactor, Agnes left the lodge, and re- paired to the cottage where Mary's parents resided, for those honest industrious people had, at her de- sire, fitted up the only spare room their small tene- ment afforded as a temporary abode for her. Her first visit was to Mrs. Irwin, in order to solicit her advice, but that lady received her in the most repulsive manner, and indelicately upbraided her with having formed designs lodraw Lord Colville from the duty he owed his parent and a noble family, to aggrandise herself, and she concluded her unfeeling invectives by observing that had she not supposed her to be a natural daughter of Sir Marcus and the first Lady Conyers, (for mature age was not always a guard against imprudence) she should never have shewn her any countenance. This was, indeed, literally true; the warm afl^ection maniiested by Sir Marcus and Mrs. Susanna Sedgely lo/ the infant, and their subsequent marriage gave Mis. Irwin the illiberal idea, and she regarded the child's being brought to her house on the night that the parties were both present, as a refinement of arti- fice to give them an opportunity, under the mask of charity, to personally foster their own illegitimate oifspring. The last will as produced by Lady Conyers ile- strojed this illusion, and probably from the severity of her manner to the unhappy Agnes, Mr. Irwin was Oftce more The object of her suspicions and injustice, M iss St. Eustace repaired to her bumble home de- pressed and languid 5 alas I she had no one else to ap- ply to; the rector's wife was dead, and her amiable relict no longer able to perform his clerical duties from the weight of declining years, had retired to a remote part of Wales, among his kindred 5 Miss Man- ton had married about six months since to an officer whoai she accompanied abroad, and poor Agnes felt herself an isolated being, and trembled for her fate. Her amiable manners had gained her many adroirer^^ ^mon^ the neighbottring ladies, J^nd she wouW witk* THE ETE OF ST. AGNES. 2^ out doubt have received the most beneficial effects from it, had not Lady Conyers and Mrs. Irwin industriously circulated reportiS concerning^ Lord Colviile and the supposed displeasure of Sir Marcus, to her disadvantage and then she received the most unmerited neglect. To remain any longer at Old Windsor was repug- nant io her feelings ; she, therefore, removed to Lon- don, accompanied by the faithful Mary ; her finances did not admit of the idea of her even retaining a ser- vant, but she shuddered at the thought of being alone in a strange place, and in her present unsettled condi- tion ; and she resolved to submit to any sacrifice of what property fale lad lefi her, rather than part with the excellent girl, till ahe had procured an eligible asy- lum for herself. A small lodgiiig in Vine-street, Piccadilly, was taken by this araiable suffiirer, and the first month ex- pired in unavailing attempts to procure a situation as governess to sooae yaung ladies, or a companian to an elder one. Notwithstanding the most rigid care to avoid all unnecessary expenditure, Agnes was alarmed at the dimiuntion of her money, and resolved to part occasionally with some of her trinkets in preference to spending any more of her fifty pounds, as she knew not what occasiiou she might have for it.. With this view, she took a small set of pearl orna- me^rts, and repaired to a jeweller's in Oxford-street ; the bargain was soon made, and she consented to take eight pounds for what had originally cost five times that sum ; such is the ^difference between purchase and sale. While the man was counting out the notes, Agnes was surprised at hearing her name pronounced hj a well-known voice ; it was Lord Colviile, who had thus unpiopitiously entered. Agnes felt overwhelmed with confusion ; what a contrast presented itself between her present and former prospects ! She tenderly esteemed Lord Colviile, but inauspicious fate too plainly argued she never could be the partner of his days, and, yield- ing only to the painful impulse of the moment, sh^ took the notes from the hands of the jeweller, and rushed out of the shop. 26 THE EVE OF ST. AGNES. Her pallid countenance and trembling frame alarmed Alary, and several hours elapsed ere her gentle mistress could regain her usual composure. The next morning, as they were sitting at breakfast, the mistress of the house delivered a parcel into the hands of Miss St. Eustace ; she eagerly opened it, wondering from whom it could be sent, when, to her great surprise, she found it to be her own pearls returned, accompanied by a note from Lord Colville, in which he expressed his pleasure at having discovered her retreat, after a search which had hitherto been attended with nothing but excruciating disappointments; he expatiated largely on the shock he had received on his return from Framlington (where the earl had purposely sent him on some message of pretended importance), to find bis loved Agnes gone, and to hear of his father's con- duct on that occasion ; he concluded his note by in- treating permission to have an interview with her, and observed, that he should call for that purpose at h?r lodgings on the following morning. Agnes felt much perplexed how to act ; her heart pleaded for an interview whh Lord Colville, but cooler reason con demned it as the height of imprudence ; she therefore wrote the following reply, and attached it to the box containing the pearls : — • ** The heart of Agnes St. Eustace will ever duly appreciate the kind intentions of Lord Colville towards an unfriended, unprotected girl, but the very circum- stances of her being friendless and unprotected, render it necessary for her to decline receiving his lordship's visit, or profit by his intended restoration of her trinkets lest she should seem, in fact, to deserve the reproaches that have hitherto been unjustlj levelled at her. That his lordship traced her from the jeweller's shop, is evi- dent ; she intreats he will never act in a similar man- ner as such conduct will give pain to her, and can only be attended with trouble and disappointment to himself, and the painful consciousness of disobedience to the wishes and commands of a parent. Having carefully sealed it, she delivered the packet to Mary, who repiiredwith it to the house of the earl The conflict was over, and Agnes received the approba- tion of her own conscience; she could not avoid a THE EVE OF ST. AGNES. 27 tear ; but before the time of Mary's return, she had required sufficientserenity to busy herself about some iancy ornaments of which she meant to dispose. Three days elapsing without any message from Lord Colville or his attempting to see^her, Agnes eoncluded that her letter had been productive of its intended ef- fect, and she rejoiced at her stability, but the fourth morning presented her wilh a subject of alarm, she overheard the mistress of the house disputing with some one, w hose voice struck her as that of Lord Colville's, she opened the door, and heard in breath- less agony over the bannisters, " You must not, you shall not go up sir,'* said the woman; "1 promised my young lodger not to admit any one." '" Pshaw ! nonsense I'^ was the reply, and it was evident from the slight bustle that ensued, that the efforts of the good landlady were unavailing, and his lordship was ac- tually ascending. Agnes felt much incensed at this conduct, but her anger gave way to surpri:^e and tro| mulous agitation, when in the person of her visitor, she discovered not Lord Colville, but his father, Earl Wilmington I she thought he came to upbraid her with some fancied wrong, but the manner in which he pre- sented his hand to her, dissipated h< r fear. He informed her, that he was in ppssession of every circumstance relative to the pearls; for he had intercepted the par- cel sent by Agnes, which led him to pursue the suL- ject closely with his son, who candidly avowed every particular. The earl wished him to give a so- lemn promise never to marry Agnes St. Eustace ; but to this the young lord would not unconditionally agree; but he at length protested, he would never marry her during the life of the earl without his ©nt ire approbation. The earl approved of the conduct of Agne?, but fearful the poverty of her situation might cast her more in the way of temptation than was consiate :t with his views, he resolved to visit the interesting girl, and impart to her a plan he had in contemplation for her future support. The earl had a sioter residing in Glamorganshire, the tenant of an abbey, moulder- ing under the hand of time and want of repair. The lady's early history was more pathetic than sin* 2S THE EVE OF ST. AGNES. gular ; in her sixteenth year it was her fate to owe her life to Mr. Darlington the son of a Baronet who was a distant relation to the Wilmington family, who, at the risk of his own life, prevented her from being precipitated down a fathomless abyss, by her horse taking fright, and proceeding with her to the very verge of threatened destruction. His provi- dential interference gained the heart of the youthful Almeria; their love was mutual; but their parents were obdurate, former feuds had rendered them deadly enemies to each other. Every precaution was taken to seperate the young people ; but their love surmounted all difficulties, and an elopement was the consequence ; they had winged their flight to Gretna green, but were overtaken within a mile of^ that renowned place, and forced back to their respective homes ; the consequence was, young Darlington was sent abroad, and Almeria consigned to the care of a female relation residing near Kensing- ton, whose very name was proverbial for ill-nature, and a dislike to the young and beautiful of her own sex; here she remained two years, and during that period they separately tried to move the hearts of their obdurate parents by repeated letters, but the only answer they could obtain was, a curse on their disobedience if Ihey ever married; or even presumed to correspond with each other. Earl Wilmington, to prevent a union so dreaded from taking place, for bethought it not impossible that on the return of young Darlington the lovers might elude the vigilance of their respective families re- solved to unite Almeria to a gentleman far advanced in life> but conspicuous for his wealth ; this mea- sure was, however, frustrated by the ill state of health of the intended, victim. She kept her room several months, and for some time her life was despaired of; youth, however, triumphed, and the roses of health once more adorned her cheek. Her father pressed for her immediate marriage with his friend, but she was firm against both threats and intreaties. While the earl was meditating what course to pursue, news arrived of the death of young Diir* lington on board the ship which was conveying h m THE EVE OF ST. AGNES. 29 1t> Eagland, of a sudden fever that attacked several of tbe crew. This mournful intelligence did not give pain to Almeria's father, on the contrary, he thougfht he shujid now be able to bring his favourite marrinpf^ to bi ar ; but in this he was mistaken ; Almeria was ^ maniac, and in this state was conveyed to Jrvy Caiitl^^ Glan'^rganshire, there to spend the reiuainder of ht?r day^^^ i:i cheerless solitude. Her father survived. this moi 'ochofy event five years, and her brother, ine present earl of Wilmington, who had always a warm aUeclioii for his sister, though he retained the heredi- tary hatred against her late lover, went to visit hfs sister; be found her perfectly in possession of her . sensi^-^ but the very semblance of liielaneholy. Hi^ wished her to leave this seclusion, but she would not eonscnt ; she. however, gratefully acceded lo a prrpo- sal he ^D ide of sending at his own charge some amiable young woman, whose want of fortune might render hor happy to accept such an eligible asylum to cb^ti the solitude cf Ivy Castle; the person who acceptod this situLtion had been a faithful, consoling companion to Lady Almeria, but her death had now left the fair mourner in her former isolated condition, and sh^ wrote to the earl to request that he would seek out anoiher person to supply this much f>ilt vacancy, and it v^as Miss St. Eustace that he now resolved to propose, a^d kt^p her place of retreat secret from his son. He was happy to find her so willing to be guided by him, f^r she expressed the highest satisfaction at the pr< s " pect his plan afforded her. When the earl returned home, he wrote to his sister, and, with a view of creating an interest in the favour ot Agnes, who had in reality become a great favourite vvith him, he mi- nutely related every circumstance concerning her, from the memorable eve of St. Agnes, when she was left a sleeping infant in the j^ariour of Mt/ Irwin's house* Lord Colville, to disssipate a part of the cbagrin arising from his late disappointment, was gone on an excursion to the lake cf Killarney, and Lord Wil- oaington seized the opportunity to invite Miss St. Eustace to pass a couple cf days with his daugters 30 THE EVE OF ST. AGNES. previous to her departing on ber journey to Wales. She was received by Utrecia with a warmth that con- veyed a charm of pleasure to her heart, but the air of Jemima seemed to say, I hope my brother will never degrade his family by giving us a portionless sister* Agnes arrived safe at Ivy Castle, after a cold and fatiguing journey; the hour was late, and nothing could equal her astonishment when she entered the gothichallto perceive a number of domestics assem- bled, and being clasped in the arms of a beautiful lady, who exclaimed "My daughter, dear recovered child! blessed be providence for the joy 1 now experience I" . An idea of such a mysterious nature darted through the brain of Agnes, and she fell senseless on the floor ; she recovered from the swoon, but a danger- ous fever seized ber, and three weeks elapsed before the physicians declared her out of danger. The first day she was able to sit up, Agnes was much surprised to behold Lord Colville led in by his Either, and Lady Almeria, for as such she recognised the lovei^ being who had received her on the night of her arri- val ; the attentions which she met with overwhelmed ber with confusion, for they were so very pointed that she could not reconcile them to her former ne- glected sU»teon leaving Blossom Lodge, and the re- pugnance of the earl to her having any interviews with Lord Colville, but the whole was briefly and most pleasingly explained ; Lady Almeria eluding the vigilenceof her aged relation, by means of a female servant was privately, but with every legal form married to Mr. Darlington previous to his departure abroad, which he contrived to procrastinate some weeks beyond the given poriod ; on finding herself pregnant she feigned an indisposition that confined her to her chamber ; this she could not have done without the aid of the medical gentleman who at- tended her ; but he was secured to their interest by Darlington. On the birth of the infant, he con- veyed it away to his own dwelling, where it was se- cretly fostered by his wife, till Almeria had gained sufficient strength to carry her first plan into execu- THE EVE OF ST. AGNES. 31 lion of comroitting the infant to the care of Mrs. Irwin, at whose house she had passed many of her youthful days ; but through the caprice of her fa- ther had not for some time visited ; she was ac- companied by her medical friend in this expedition ; they so exerted themselves, that a few hours sufficed for A lraeria*s absence, and aided by the female servant, it was not known but she still lay confined to her bed. She trusted all to future changes in her favour; but thedeathof Mr. Darlington annihilated all prospects, and she became as formerly stated a maniac. Dur- ing this unhappy period, the earl by taking possession of her papers, gained proofs of her marriage, and its consequences, and in order to take vengeance on her for this disobedience, he informed her, when she be- came convalescent of the death of her child, having bribed the female servant who had formerly befriended her, to that purpose* Sunk into apathy and disregard to the world, she remained the victim of sorrow, and never took any pains to prove her marriage or claims on the Darlington fami I}. The letter of her brother, aroused ail her feelings ; in Agnes she beheld her child and immediately imparted the history of her sufferings to her brother. Proofs were found without difficulty ; Almeria was declared the wife, and her child the daughter, of the late Edward Darlington, and put into immediate pos- session of a magnificent fortune ; and three r^onths after this event, L#ord Colville received the hand of his fair cousin at the Hymenial altar ; the two bride- maids were the earl's daughters, for now fortune seemed to smile upon Agnes Lady Jemima no longer objected Agnes as a sister. To complete the general rejoicing Lady Conyers, who lay seriously ill con- fessed the crime of forging a new will, and declayed that Sir Marcus's affections were never in the least de- gree estranged from Agnes ; she died three days after this disclosure, and left an instrument by which Lady Colvjlle was reinstated in her rights. Mrs. Irwin would fain have apologised for her harsh conduct, but her sophistry met with deserved conteoif^ 32 THE EVE OF ST. AC^ES.- and she repenled, too late, of her unjfistifiable crn^l^y to A gn es when enires t'lug her pro (ec lutn. The fa i t h fu 1 Alary w4s rewarded for her services; and the Uively heroine oC this Ljstory ill the iiocieiy of a la^^ther ^3 deservedly dear, and the arms of an ndoriiig liu^band, pass<*d the remainder of hsr days in felicity' eiiJ culin UNIVERSITY OF CALIFOR3 BERKELEY Return to desk from which This book is DUE on the last date 2lNov'51KUA REC'D LD " 8Nov'5Tt." MAYl 1962 ■_ 260ct'54fii 250ct5 4Pt OCT 2 8 1954^8 LI) 21-100m-ll,'49(B7146sl6)470 YA niPR^ 924446 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA UBRARY