Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 261: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. 253 the ruins. The sun had already set, and the di- lapidated edifice was involved in semi-obscurity. Still it was light enough to discern all objects ; and Charles looked around with the expectation of beholding the Countess. He did not however per- ceive her—he saw no one. He passed further into the midst of the ruins—he stood near a dila- pidated gateway, and again gazed about him. All of a sudden he heard a rustling amidst the ever- greens which grew there in rich luxuriance ; and the next moment two men sprang out upon him, Both had drawn swords in their hands— both rushed furiously at him with the intention of taking his life. At a glance he perceived the terrific danger which threatened him ; and with the abruptness as well as with the force of a tiger springing on his prey, the gallant De Vere darted at his foremost assailant. Grasping the naked weapon which was pointed against his breast, he thrust it aside, and hurled to the ground the individual who bore it. At the same moment he recognised Silvio. In the twinkling of an eye he sprang upon the other ruffian—a tall, elderly man, with dark complexion, and who indeed was none other than the surgeon Visso. It was by a miracle that Charles escaped a mortal thrust from that miscreant’s sword: but closing with him as rapidly as thought itself flits through the brain, he dashed him violently against the gateway. All this was the work of a moment; and the oext instant Charles darted again upon Viscount Silvio, who was just springing up to his feet. Our hero tore the sword from his grasp—and with the violence of the proceeding the blade was snapped in twain, In the meantime up sprang the sur- geon Visso from the ground: but Charles, with a fragment of Silvio’s sword in his hand, rushed to encounter him. The surgeon was seized with a sudden terror—he turned to fly—his foot tripped —he fell heavily. Then Silvio came bounding forward: he snatched up the surgeon’s sword which he had dropped—and with a cry of rage he made a desperate thrust at our hero. At the same time he drew a dagger from beneath his gar- ments ; and thus doubly armed, he seemed to hold De Vere’s life at his mercy at that instant. The surgeon Visso, perceiving this sudden change of affairs, rushed back to the spot—Charles was hurled down—and now his very moments seemed numbered, for Silvio was on the point of assassi- nating him—the infinitesimal point of time indi- cated by the twinkling of an eye would have sealed his fate, had not Ginevra suddenly burst upon the scene, giving utterance to the wildest cries ! Viscount Silvio, dropping his sword in conster- nation and dismay, turned towards Ginevra—the surgeon Visso fled—and Charles De Vere started up to his feet. But at the same time he clutched the weapon which the young Viscount had let fall from his hand; and seizing upon Silvio, he ex- claimed, “ Wretch! I might now take your life if I chose—but I am not anassassin! I will sur- render you up to justice |” Silvio made one desperate effort to release him- self: but Charles quickiy convinced him that his struggling was ineffectual—for he held him with a powerful grasp, at the same time holding the point of the sword towards his breast, and ejacu- ing, “ Resist—and I strike !” _> ee “Oh! in the name of all the blessed Saints,” cried the distracted Ginevra, “let there be peace between you! Good heavens, in what utter miseries do I find myself involved! Silvio, down upon your knees and implore this gentleman to pardon you! Grovel at his feet if needful—lick the very dust from his boots—do anything to ob- tain his forgiveness !” “Lady,” said Charles De Vere, still keeping a firm hold upon his prisoner, “there are outrages which cannot be pardoned! In another moment my life would have been sacrificed—and this wretch, with his companion bravo, would have recked not that a mother should soon be weeping in bitterness for her son! How, then, can I be expected to show mercy when none was to be shown to me P” Ginevra clasped her hands in anguish and despair: Silvio’s looks were now fierce, sombre, and desperate. “Well, let the worst happen!” he exclaimed. “T am tired of life—and the only favour I ask this gentleman is that he will slay me at once!” “‘ No, my lord,” cried Charles, with indignaticn : “T again tell you that I am not an assassin! But answer me—why did you seek my life? what harm had I done you P” ‘Look you, sir,” responded the Viscount, with a desperate recklessness of tone and manner, as if he now meant to abandon himself entirely to his wretched fate without another effort to avert it. “When a man has plunged deeply into sin, and has become inextricably involved in the whirlpool of villanies, calamities, and disasters, it is certain that here and there some one will cross his path— some one will stand in his way—and with the hope of saving himself he seeks mercilessly to sacrifice whosoever appears thus to thwart him.” “ But I, my lord—what harm have I done you?” demanded our hero. “Oh! it is needless to enter into particulars,” exclaimed Silvio, not speaking with either scorn or hauteur, but still in the same tone of desperate recklessness as before. ‘ Pray do your worst at once. 1am ready to accompany you to the felons’ gaol—aye, even to ascend the steps of the scaffold itself: for 1 am wearied of this struggle against circumstances—I am tired of battling to emanci- pate myself from the web which my own crimes have woven—and the sooner I escape from this world the better. If life were a garment which could be put off at will, L would with my own hand throw it off at once!” “Oh! such language is terrible and hideous!” cried Ginevra, whose countenance was distorted and convulsed with the intense agony of her feel- ings. ‘“ Pardon bim—for heaven’s sake forgive him—I entreat you!” and she sank weeping bit- terly at the feet of Charles De Vere. “God knows that he is not in a fitting frame of mind to die!” exclaimed our hero; “and if I thought that a generous action on my part . “Oh! you are good and noble-minded,” cried Ginevra, looking up with hope beaming upon her countenance: “pardon him! forgive him!—and he will yet live to bless you for your generosity !” There was another moment’s hesitation on our hero’s part; and tken suddenly quitting his hold upon Silvio’s garments, he said, “Depart, my lord—I give you your life!—and whatever your —$——— CoOMmiclooolks CC F.. OimM