Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 298: what you’re looking at

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

290 Seen eee ee eee ee Minister drily, “that it has not succeeded, And|she could not; and the police-agent burried her | now whither are you lesding us?” “To the Camerino Mansion,” replied Silvio. “The Camerino Mansion?” ejaculated the Pre- fect. “Is it possible that your father has been all the time harboured there ?” “ No, my lord—he has not,” interrupted Silvio; “and it has now become unnecessary to tell your Excellency where he did tive. I am already about to perpetrate sufficient mischief, without compro- mising the safety of other persons. It is enough for you to know that at the Camerino Mansion my father will be found.” The Chief of the Police and Viscount Silvio now walked on together in silence, the police- agents pursuing their own way, one by one, at a little distance—yet scattering themselves in such a manner as to be ready at a moment’s warning to cut off Silvio’s retreat in case he should attempt to fly. They soon came in the neighbourhood of the Camerino Mansion; and Silvio said, “ Be kind enouch to remember that portion of our compact which stipulated that my father should not learn who was the author of his betrayal.” “Tt shall be remembered, my lord,” said the Prefect. ‘‘ Here we halt.” The Minister made a sign for his men to ap- proach him; and he said, “ Go, some of you, to the Camerino Mansion— and arrest the Count, whom you will find there. Do not suffer it to transpire in his presence that you have seen his son with me. Molest no one else within the walls of that habitation.” Four of the police-agents at once started for- ward to do the bidding of their Chief, who re- mained with the prisoner and the other two sbirré in the shade of an archway leading to some con- ventual establishment. Scarcely had the four officials set off to the dvor of the Camerino Man- sion, which was about fifty yards distant, when a chaise came along at a rapid rate. “See who is in that vehicle,” said the Chief of the Police, significantly, to one of his men. “ We shall require a carriage immediately ; and perhaps that one may serve our purpose.” The official thus addressed, hastened forward and commanded the driver of the vehicle to stop. The man at once obeyed, for police-law was para- mount in Naples; and the official, on opening the door, beheld two females enveloped in cloaks. That significancy with which the Prefect had issued his orders, was evidently well understood by the agent: for he said, “ Come, ladies, you must show your passports if not your faces.” Fidelia, who was one of those two females, could not repress a cry of terror; and the official ex- claimed, “ Ah! what ?—are these the missing birds? You had better alight, both of you, and o)me and speak to our Chief.” The Minister now summoned his agent back to the gateway ; and consigning Silvio to the care of the two sbirri, he went forward to the vehicle. “Descend immediately!” he said. “ You, Fidelia, return to your father and beseech his pardon.” The trembling girl alighted; and as at that very instant another police-agent was passing by, the Minister handed her over to his care, ordering him to conduct her back to the Prefecture. Videlia endeavoured to gasp forth something—but AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. off. “ Ciprina,” said the Minister, “ you yourself, by your conduct, have put an end to everything be- twixt yourselfand me. Go!—you are in posses- sion of your freedom. I care’ not any longer to keep in a gilded cage a bird that affects to be pleased with my kindness, but who dissembles only a for the purpose of finding the means of escape. Depart !—and see that you are not within the pre- i cincts of Naples when the sun rises on the “q morrow ; or rest assured it will be the worse for you !” Ciprina had descended from the vehicle; and the Prefect imperiously waved his hand as asignal ‘ that she should hasten off on foot. She gave not utterance to a word, butsped away, only too much rejoiced to find that she was really in posssession of her freedom. “Now,” said the Chief of the Police to the driver of the vehicle, “turn and draw up at the entrance of yonder mansion: for you have a pri- soner to receive there.” We should observe, in order to fill up a little gap in our narrative, that this was actually the vehicle which Fidelia had engaged, as already stated: but the driver of it happened to be a few minutes behind his time. When he arrived upon the spot where Ciprina and Fidelia were awaiting him, they bade him tarry for a few minutes, as they expected the speedy return of some one who was to accompany them. But ten minutes went by, and Silvio did not make his ap Ci- . prina was dreadfully alarmed by the delay: Fide- lia was sinking with terror. The minutes to ; them seemed hours. At length selfishly consult- ing their own safety only, they took their seats in ' the vehicle, and ordered it to drive off. The result has already been explained; and it may appear to be a miserably mean and petty vengeance which the Prefect wreaked upon Ciprina to compel her to deseend from the chaise and go wandering through the streets at that time of night in search of another conveyance — but his purpose was twofold, and it was a double revenge which he was thus taking, as the reader will presently see. Scarcely was this incident accomplished, when one of the police agents who had been sent into the mansion to arrest the Count of Camerino, came hurrying to the archway with the intel- ligence that the capture was effected. A cold shudder swept through Silvio’s form as he thus heard the tidings waich made him aware that his foul treachery had succeeded, and that he had given up his own father to a dungeon and to the scaffold ! “Is the prisoner in the vehicle?” inquired the Chief of the Police. “He is doubtless there by this time, my lord,” was the response. The Minister then whispered a few hasty words to the agent, who sped back towards the man- sion. “ My lord,” said Silvio, in a deep sombre tone, ‘my iniquity is consummated—give me the price of it! The King’s pardon and my immediate freedom !” “Yes—the King’s pardon,” said the Minister, begining to feel about his person as if for a docu- meat. “The King’s pardon, you say ‘i --.- —— Sie 2: —— — ee COMME IOO <5