Sunday dispatch. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1845-1854, 1852-04-18

re Oh ChHord was not TO be expected for mont
T. sI 81 ieost ana perhaps he might never retur
3, ne tnought OF his danger was ma dness b
er wnen she reflected that she should in all pl
ba6llty be mother before she became a wi
IN IN transport OF frantic anguish she inplor
heaven IN mercy to put an end to her exi
z tence. " . my dear injured father !" she 9
n, Claimed, " who was once your pride, am no
er your disgrace land that child whose first d
n dlght it was to look up in your face, ard 8,
l your eyes beaming with fondness on her, cS
d, now never dare 0 meet their glance again y"
n But, though Agnes dared not presume
re write to her father till she could sign herse
IN the wife of Clifford she could not exist wit
ont making some secret inquiries concernir
A. his health and spirits, and before he left ha
n Clifford recommended trusty messenger
her for that purpose. The first account whic
g she received was, that Fitzhenry was vel
d the next, that he was detected the three fo
d lowing, that his spirits were growing better
g and tne last account was, that he was marie,
J. " Married !" cried Agnes, rushing into ht
d chamber, and shutting the door after her. in
e manner sufficiently indicative to the measenof
I, OF the anguish she hastened from him to cor
+ ceal-" married Clifford abroad-perhaps E
tnls m9mene corPse-and my father married
what then am II A wretch forlorn an ou
J cast from society no one to love, no one
1 protect and cherish me Great God wilt tho
not pardon me if seek refuge from my su
tering N the grave?"
. Here nature Suddenly and powerfully i'm
t pressed on her recollection that she was abou
4 to become parent and, falling on her knees
r she sobbed out, What am |, did l ask an
\ mother, and earth still holds me by tie to
sacred to be broken!"
Then by degrees she became calrner. alad re-
oiced, fervently rejoiced, in her fathers secon
marriage, though she felt it as too cenvincin,
a proof how completely he had thrown her from
his affections. She knew that the fear of
: second family diminishing the strong affection
which he bore to her had been his reason fo
not marrying again, and now it was plain tina
he had married in hopes of losing his affection
Tor her. Snll this information removed loaC
from her mind, by showing her that Fitzhenrv
felt himself capable of receiving happiness
from other hands than hers; and ahe resolved
II she heard that he was happy in his change
of SITUATION, never to recall to his memory the
daughter whom it was so much his interest to
forget
The time of Agnes confinement now drew
near "a time which fills with apprehension
even the wife, who is soothed and supported
| by the tender attentions of an anxious husband,
and the assiduties of affectionate relations and
| friends, and who knew ws that the child with
which she is about to present them will at once
| crafty their affections and their pride. What
then, must have been the sensations of AGNES
at moment so awful and dangerous as this !
| Agnes, who had no husband 10 soothe her by
Il
| cheer her dropping soul by the expressions Of
sympathy, and whose child, instead of being
welcomed by an exulting family, must be, per
| haps, stranger even to its nearest relations
! But, in proportion to her trials seemed to be
! Agnes power OF rising superior to them, and
sfser enduring her sufierings with degree Of
tortItude and calmness that astonished the mis-.
tress OF the house, whom compassion had in-
duced 10 attend on her, she gave birth to a
lovely boy. From that moment, though she
rarely smiled, and never saw any one but her
kind landlady, her mind was no longer oppress-
cd by the deep gloom under which she had be.
fore labOFed and when she had heard from
Clifford, or of her fathers being happy, and
clasped her babe to her bosom, Agues might
almost be pronounced cheerful.
Alter she had been six months a mother.
Clifford retWned, and, in the transport of see
ing him safe, Agnes forgot for a moment that
she had been anxious and unhappy Now
again was the subject of the marriage resumed:
but Just as the wedding-day was fixed. Clifford
was summoned away to attend his expiring ia
ther, and Agnes was ence more doomed to the
tortuIes of suspense.
After a months absence, Clifford came back,
but appeared to labor under detection of spir-
its, which he seemed studious to conceal from
her. Alarmed and terrified at an appearance
30 unusual she demanded an explanation, which
the consummate deceiver gave at length, after
many entreatles on her part, and feigned reluo-
tance on his He told her that his fathers ILL
ness was occasi0ned by his having been in
tArEnsd that be4S~sa aniYateJ~ .,{oeFrled to her
truth of the report and, beng cOnvnntS5u ny "
his solemn assurance that no marriage had ia
ken place, he had commanded him, unless he
wished to kill him, to take solemn oath never
to marry Agnes Fitzhenry without his consent.
" And did you take the oath % cried Agnes,
her whole frame trembling with agitation
What could do % replied he; ''my fathers
life in evident danger if | refused besides, the
dreadful certainty that he would put his threats
into execution of cursing me with bis dying
breath and, ,.c1uel as he is, Agnes, could not
help feeling that he was my father"
" Barbarian !" exclaimed she; Il sacrificed
nv father to you An oath have you taken
an oath never to be mine 2" and saying this,
she fell into a long and deep swoon
When she recovered, but before she was able
to speak, she found Clifford kneeling by her
and, while she was too weak to interrupt him,
he convinced her that he did not at all despair
of his fathers consent to his making her his
wife, else he should have been less willing to
give so ready a consent to take the oath impo-
sed en- him, even though his fathers life de-
pended on it.
" Oh! no" replied Agnes, with bitter smile
"you wrong yourself; you are too good son
to have been capable of hesitating a moment
there are few children so bad so very bad as
am p and, bursting into an agony OF grief, 1t
was long before the affectionate language and
tender caresses of Clifford could restore her TO
tranquility
Another six months elapsed, during which
time Clifford kept her hope alive, by telling her
that he every day saw fresh signs OF his tatheES
relenting in her favor At these times she
would say, "Lead me to him-let him hear the
tale of my wretchedness-let me say to him,
For your sons sake, have left the best of ia
| theirs, the happest of home, and have become
an outcast from society = Then l would bid
| him look at this pale cheek, this emacated
FORM proofs of the anguish that is undermining
my constitution and tell him to beware how,
by forcing you to withhold from me my righV,
he made YOU guilty of mu dering the poor de-
luded wretch, who till SIZE knew you, never
laid down without fathers blessing, nor rose
but to be welcomed by his smile T"
Clifford had feeling, but it was of the tran
sient sort, which never outlived the disappear
ance of the object that occasioned it. To these
pathetic entreaties he always returned afec-
tionate answers, and was often forced to leave
the room in order to avoid his being too much
softened by them but, by the time he had
reached tho end OF the street, always alive TO
the impressions of the present moment, the
sight of some new beauty, or some old com
panion, dried up the starting tear, and restored
to him the power OF coolly considering how
he should continue to deceive his miserable
victim.
But the time at length arrived when the
mask that hid his villainy from her eyes fell off
never to be replaced. AS Agnes fully expected
to be the wife of Clifford, she was particularly
careful to lead a retired life, and not to seem
unmindful OF her shame by exhibiting herself
at places of public amusement. In vain, did
\ Clifford paint the charms of the Play, the Ope
ra and other places Of fashionable resort
Retirement, with books, music, work, and
your society,"" she used to reply, " are better
suited to my taste and situation; and never
= | h1,to rvifo will
public eye"
Clifford, though he wished 10 exhibit hi'
lovely conquest to the world, was obliged tC
submit to her will in this instance. Sometimes
indeed, Agnes was prevailed on to admit tC
her table those young men OF Cltord's ac
qu8intance who were the most distinguished
for their talents and decorum Of manners; bu
this was the only departure that he had eve
prevailed on her to make from the plan OF re
! iirement which she had adopted.
Oae evening, however, Clifford was so unu
sualy urgent with her to accompany him tt
Drury Lane, to see favorite tragedy (slleging
as an additional motive for her obhging him
that he was going to leave her on the Monda.
following, in order to attend his father into thI
T country, where he should be forced to remaiI
, some time,) that Agnes, unwilling to Tefus'
what he called his parting request, at lengtl
complied Clifford having prevailed on Mrs
/ Askew. her kind landlady, to accompany them
sit in the upper boxes, she might if she chost
it. wear hey veil down. Agnes, in spite of her
self, was delighted with the representation
but, as
'sHearts refined the saddeu'd tint RETAIN
The sigh is pleasure and the jest is PAIN
she was desirous OF leaving the house befor,
the farce began yet, as Clifford saw gentle
! man in the lower boxes with whom he ha,
business, she consented to stay till he had spo
7 ken to him Soon after she saw Clifford ente
J the lower boxes opposite to her. and those VIII
] know what it is to love will not be surprised
T to hear that Agnes had more pleasure in look
! ing at her lover, and drawing favorable compar
isons between him and the gentlemen who SUI
! rounded him, than in attending to the farce
+ She had been some moments absorbed L
: this pleasing employment, when two eentleme
: entered the box where she was, and seate
7 themselves behind her
} "Who is that elegant, fashionable lookin
5 man, my lord, in the lower box Just opposite
I, to US 2" said one Of the gentlemen to the othel
: 81 mean he who is speaking to Captain Mo"
4 "Itis. George Clifford, of the guards, rePlie
4 his lordship, and one of the cleverest fellow
: in England, colonel"
Q Agnes, whe had'not missed one word Of thl
conversation, now became still more attentive