Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 240: what you’re looking at

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

LLL LLL LBB LBLLBBLBLBLL LL LLL LLL LLL LLL LT ll tte attaltmszrrmmm ls i i AGNES; other, not to breathe a syllable elsewhere of having seen me beneath this roof !” “T do not know you, signor,” answered Charles ; “and therefore Il cannot speak of you by name.” “But you might speak of me according to per- | sonal description,” responded the stranger; “and it is in this that I throw myself upon your, mercy.” “The English gentleman will pass his word and will keep it,” said Nino Corso, who entered the room at this moment; door behind him. Charles was infinitely relieved by this man’s appearance and by the words which he had just spoken; for they at once set at rest whatsoever suspicion there might have been in his mind in respect to the fact of the stranger being a second time alone with Benedetta. It was now therefore with all the natural frankness of his disposition that Charles exclaimed, that it shall be kept by me!” “I seek no other pledge, and can desire no better,” answered the stranger with a look expres- sive of deep gratitude. “But remember ! a single word lightly or incautiously spoken 4 “That word shall not be spoken by me,” re- | jeined Charles, “so long asI may in all honour | keep silence.” “Enough, young man !” ejaculated the stranger. “You have secured the gratitude of one who when occasion serves, knows how to be grate- ful!’ He again wrung our bero’s hand: he then en- veloped himself in his ample cloak—and when. Nino Corso had peeped forth from the door to ascertain that the coast was completely clear, the | | then took his departure. mysterious individual sped across the landing to the opposite room. “Welcome, signor,” said Corso, now finding | leisure to pay his respects to Charles. “Iam not | sorry that this little incident should have occurred ; because it has cleared up my poor Benedetta’s | character in your estimation: day before yesterday you must have entertained a | éuspicion—it was natural enough, though unjust and injurious——” * Your wife behaved well on the occasion,” in terrupted Charles: “there was evidently some great secret the betrayal of which from her lips might have at once convinced me that I was. wrongipg her: but she held her peace, though she gave me significantly enough to understand that appearances were not always to be judged by.” ‘* Perhaps you will scarcely require to be told, signor,” demanded Corso, “ that there is something delicate ana peculiar in this business—a merchant who has failed—a worthy good man, but who is | thus obliged to hide himself from the pursuit of his creditors until his friends can make arrange- ments by which he may show himself again in the broad light of day.” “I fancied,” rejoined Charles, “ after what little I heard, that this was either the case of some political offender or else of a debtor; for the un- fortunate gentleman does not look like a criminal —and I have too good an opinion of you both, my bumbk friends, to imagine that you would become accumplices in cheating justice of its due.” —— ee eS OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, and he carefully closed the | “Tf there be no moral | wrong in keeping your secret, signor, rest assured - for I know that the | | “ Not for worlds!” exclaimed Corso, with honest | sincerity, “ where it is really its due that justice claims. But here is a case of sheer misfor- tune % * And I honour you for befriending it!” inter- jected Charles. “ The secret is safe with me: of this you may rest assured—and therefore now no ‘more upon the subject, unless it be for me to re- commend you to exercise a little more discretion and prudence = “No one comes to our room,” said Benedetta, “except that poor gentleman, the house-porter (who, by the way, is in the secret), and yourself, signor. I thought it was too early for a visit from you ; and as the poor gentleman stepped across the landing just to have a quarter of an hour’s chat —for he must be dull enough, pent up in his own chamber all by himself, he who has been accus- tomed to such an active bustling life ae “No doubt, poor gentleman,” interjected Charles: “he must deeply feel his altered position, But I | repeat, his secret is entirely safe with me. And now tell me, how gets on the little one?” “ Well and thriving, as you see, signor,” | answered Benedetta, holding up the sleeping babe, on whose delicate forehead Charles imprinted a kiss. “Though deprived of the natural nourish- ment of its mother’s bosom,” continued Benedetta, it does not pine but takes its food readily; so that one would really think it had never hung at the breast at all, and had been fed by hand from its birth.” Charles said nothing: but he thought this idea on Benedetta’s part was likely to be altogether con- sistent with the actual facts. He paid some little _kind attention to the children of the worthy couple, who were all present in the room; and he As he was proceeding _homeward, he could not help wondering within ' himeelf when Ginevra would communicate with ‘him according to her promise, and what latitude she meant to give herself in respect to the “few days” within which period according to her pledge _such communication was to be made. On the following day Charles De Vere was walking through the streets in the afternoon— | indeed as it was verging towards the hour to dress for dinner—when he was overtaken by Sir Alex- . ander Holcroft. “ You are going home to the Embassy, De Vere,” said the Baronet, familiarly passing his arm through that of our young hero; “and my destina- tion is the same. By the bye, I dined yesterday with Clifford at his hotel, as I told you that I was ‘going to do; and I was introduced to his lady, who of course passes for the nonce as his wife.” “And you saw the lady?” said Charles, en- deavouring to assume a careless look and tone. “T tell you, my dear fellow,” replied the Baro- net, laughing, “I was introduced to her: so of course I saw her. I never passed a more agree- able evening! Her name is Fioribel —she is a superb creature, and evidestly well educated. How Clifford can possibly be tired of such a Hebe I cannot for the life of me conceive !” * He is doubtless volatile,” said Charles. “Volatile or not,” continued the Baronet, “it would be unpardonable on his part to dream of ridding himseif of such a houri, if it were not that | some one else must sooner or later have very zood ee COMmcooolxs ———=_ COhn s ——— LL LLLLLLL LL OL LC ts, i et ma eee eee | \