Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 272: what you’re looking at

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

Vere were vividly depicted in his mind: but now they had seemed to fall into a species of obscurity —he beheld recent events as if through a mist: it was the looming gibbet and the yawning dun- geon that were at present hideously vivid in their delineation to his mind’s eye! In a quarter of an hour the official residence of the Chief of the Police was reached; and the two | agents alighted with their prisoner. The driver of AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. Silvio bowed haughtily, as if to imply that he — felt himself to be in the functionary’s power and | should remain in a forced quiescence - ingly. | ‘You are very young, my lord,” resumed the | Chief of the Police, “to find yourself thus serie | ously compromised : for you cannot be ignorant | of the consequences?” ‘ “When men undertake certain things, my lord,” replied Silvio, “they must be prepared for the hackney-coach, having been paid his fare, de- | all eventualities.” parted, utterly ignorant who the captive was that| ‘“ But these are serious in the present case,” he had conveyed thither, and not daring to ask | continued the Minister, fixing his dark eyes keenly any questions ; for in Naples matters of this de- | upon the Viscount. “The punishment of treason scription are conducted with secreey as well as with | may be the scaffold, and cannot be less than im- despatch. | prisonment to perpetuity !” The young Viscount was escorted into a | The suspicion had arisen in Silvio’s mind that waiting-room, where he was detained a few | the Minister was thus addressing him with some minutes, while a whispered message was sent up | ulterior object, and not simply in compliance to the Chief of the Police, who was entertaining with official forms. Moreover the idea seemed a party in his drawing-room. Immediately on re- to be corroborated by the circumstance of the ceiving the announcement that was whispered in dismissal of the two agents from the room. Silvio his ear—for all was secrecy and mystery within therefore said in a more urbane tone than he had those walls as well as without—the Chief of the | hitherto adopted, “‘ When I informed your Excel- Police quitted his guests, repaired to his own | lency that I was prepared to meet the conse- private cabinet, seated himself at his desk, and | quences of my offence, it was under the impression ordered the prisoner to be brought into his pre- | that they were imevitable. But I have not en- sence. We may observe that the Chief of the joyed fife so long, nor do I held freedom so lightly, Police was a short thin man, with a dark com-| as to renounce the hope of saving the former and plexion, grey hair and whiskers, keen black eyes, | regaining the latter, if such hope may be tole- and deep furrows upon his brow. These were rated.” however the effect of strong passions rather than, The Minister again looked very hard in Silvio’s of age ; for his years did not much exceed fifty.— | face; and after a pause, he said, as if in a come The portraiture will no doubt be recognised by | miserating tone, “ It were indeed a pity if one so every one who has happened to sojourn awhile at | young, with so many worldly advantages, and Naples. who might shine in society with such effect, should Into the presence of this functionary was the | be suddenly cut off from the sphere in which he Viscount Silvio conducted by the two agents who | ought to flourish !” . had captured him. There was no noise, no cere- “In one word, my lord,” asked Silvio, “ is mony. One or two domestics whom they met in | there a means through which I could be restored the passages leading to the private cabinet, passed | to that sphere from which I confess that with by in silence, and did not so much as fling a look | much regret I have been alienated ?” of curiosity, much less ask a question. They were iz There is always a means,” responded the accustomed to such scenes, and knew that they Chief of the Police, with a hypocritical expression were not to be pried into. of countenance, “ by which penitence can be dis- Silvio took off his hat in token of respect for | played. You say that you regret having been led the Chief of the Police: bat his demeanour was into treasonable practices against his Majesty’s otherwise coldly stern, with a tincture of haughty | sacred person? This regret evidences contrition defiance. |—contrition leads to atonement—and atonement “Viscount Silvio Camerino,” said the Chief of | may be followed by pardon.” the Police, in the grave sententious style of Minis. | “ 1f your Excellency be mercifully inclined to- terial authority, “implicated in the treasonable | wards me,” said the Viscount, “ my eternal gra- conspiracy which was discovered on the 5th of titude = January of the present year, 1848, what have you| ‘“ Gratitude must be shown by deeds as well as to say wherefore you should not be at once con- words. Answer me, Viscount Silvio! Were you signed to prison to await your trial on those not present at the very last meeting of the chiefs charges ?” |of the conspirators on the night of the Sth of “TI have nothing to say,” responded Silvio January ?” coldly. “Search his person,” was the mandate now given by the Ministe> of Police. Silvio submitted to a process against which he knew it would be useless to resist : but no weapon was found upon him, nor were any documents of the slightest consequence discovered, “Leave the prisoner alone with me,” said the | Chief of the Police: and the two agents forthwith left the cabinet. “They remain in the passage FR _ outside,” added the Minister, thus intimating to | the speeches that were delivered on the occasion ®” the prisoner that it would be futile for him to attempt any violence or to aim at an escape, eV“ —_————- ———— fo cee “TI was,” replied Silvio, his heart now palpi- tating with hope as each successive word which ‘fell from the lips of the Minister seemed to be drawing nearer to the point whereat the terms would be specified on which the young nobleman might save his life and regain his liberty. “You were present at that meeting,” continued the Chief of the Police: “ you can therefore re- coliect the names of all the rest who were pre- — sent? and you can perhaps furnish an outline of | “All this I could do,” rejoined Silvio, “ Pat, ab——”’ | ll SNe ee eet 46s es Gomichbooks