Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 314: what you’re looking at

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

306 We have thus hastily sketched an outline of the mode of life now led by the-beautifa!l Ciprina. We are now about to direct the attention of the reader to a particular evening when there was a more than usually large assemblage of guests at Lacrezia Mirano’s town-mansion, A month had elapsed since Ciprina had been an inmate of that palatial residence: and it was now therefore verg- ing towards the close of January, in the year 1849. The weather was cold without—but the atmosphere was warm within those sp'endidly fur- nished apartments. Tbe magnificent chandeliers poured a flood of lustre throughout the saloonss the brilliancy of thet light was enhanced by its re- flection in the vast mirrors; and the elegantly apparelled guests moved through that blaze of lustre like gorgeous insects in the glorious glare of the sun-light. On this particular evening the Marchioness and Ciprina were for the first time introduced to a young French gentleman bearing the name of Edgar Marcellin. He had recently arrived at Florence : he was reputed to be rich; and he had brought with him letters of introduc- tion which procured him immediate adwission into the best circles of Florentine society. He had borne the title of Count previous to the Revo- lution of 1848: but by that grand political con- vulsion ia his native country all aristocratie dis- tinctions were destroyed,—and at the time of which we are writing they had not been restored under the regime of the usurper Louis. Napoleon. Thus Count de Marcellin was now plain M. Mar- cellin: but he was not the less cordially wel- comed in fashionable society at Florence. He was one of those elegant Parisians who might be put forward as a living argument to support the assertion that the French are the politest and most refined people on the face of the earth, His manners were perfect in ‘their polisied ele- gance—but yet without fastidiousness or cox- combry: on the contrary, there was a manly ease in his bearing whieh placed him on good terms with any strangers to.whom he might choose to make himself agreeable. He was well edu- cated and intelligent; and with the most per- fect tact he could vary bis conversation over the whole range of fashionable frivolities, and thence throughout the sphere of poetry, the drama, lite- rature generally, the fine arts, and even science, just as he saw would at the time prove suitable to the tastes and intellects of his auditors, All these advantages of mannersand mind were accompanied by an equal amount of personal ones. It would be difficult to conceive a more perfect specimen of masculine beauty than this French gentleman. He was between twenty-four and twenty-five years of age — of the middle height, and with a figure fault- lessly syrometrical. He had regular Grecian fea- tures— biack bair, curling naturally—a beard that <n the puuctilious nicety of its trimming formed a inishing frame to set off the oval of his counte- nance—and a glossy moustache giving effect to the brilliancy of his teeth. He dressed with a simpli- city that was in itself the very perfection of gen- tility: he wore but very little jewellery—yet the single diamond which sent forth its vivid jets of light from the ring upon his finger, was more costly than all the accumulated masses of trinkets with which many another young “fashionable” had bedizened his person. AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, —-— -- =o Edgar Marcellin bespoke a refined taste, a gentle. manly feeling, and the tact of the man of the world, " No sooner had Edgar Marcellin arrived in Flo- rence, than all the aristocratic saloons rang with praises of the brilliant. Frenchman; so that there was a species of scramble, if we may use the term, as to who should be fortunate enough in first ob- taining his presence as a guest at their entertain- ments. The Marchioness di Mirano had expressed to a gentleman-friend her desire that M. Marcellin should be introduced to her: the gentleman-friend accomplished the task; and hente the appearance of the polished Frenchman at the Mirano mansion on the evening of which we are speaking. It was a conversazione : there was but little dancing:— music, discourse, the inspection of new prints and pictures, and such-like recreations were whiling away the time until the supper room should be thrown open. At the moment when M. Marcellin was announced, Ciprina was seated on a low otto- map, in the midst of a group who were examining*® a small picture by some celebrated master, and which a connoisseur having that day picked up at a great price, had brought to display in pursuance of @ custom common enough at conversaziones in Italian society. Ciprina was elegantly dressed; and she looked most ravishingly beautiful. She affected to be perfectly indifferent to the arrival of the brilliant Frenchman who was being made the “jion” of society in the Tusean capital; and she pretended to keep her eyes riveted on the connois- seur's picture, while all ethers present were now glancing towards him whose name had just been proclaimed from the lips of the Jacquey at-the gilded portals of the saloon. But Ciprina did nevertheless flumg one furtive look in that direc- tion; and then turning towards a lady who was near, she said, as if thinking ouly of the picture, “ Well, I do not pretend to be a judge—but I cer- tainly think it is well worth the price which the present owner has paid for it.” “ My dear Signora,”’ whispered the lady, in as- tonishment; “is it possible that you can be think- ing of this comparatively trumpéry picture, when the brilliant. Edgar Marcellin has just been an- nounced ?” “Qh, indeed!” said Ciprina, as if with a lan- guid air of the most perfect indifference : and then she went on making some additional remarks in reference to the picture. Meanwhile Edgar Marcellin, having been wel- comed by the Marchioness di Mirano, was now slowly making his way through the apartment, by her ladysbip’s side; and while bowing to those persons with whom he was already acquainted, he threw out a variety of complimentary remarks, couched in the most delicate terms, in reference to the splendour of her Jadyship’s rooms, the taste which had prevailed over their appointments, and the distinguished company which she had collected on the occasion, Marcellin’s quick eye showed him (though he affected to perceive it not) that his appearance had produced an immense sensa- tion, and that he was the observed of all observers. No—not quite! There was one exception, That lady, seated upon the ottoman, and who sppeared to be intent on the survey of a picture which rested against the back of a chair !—who could she But everything about |be, that she was thus utterly indifferent to the | | | LE LS EE Ey cei ar ny —r Age oe, ee oe Oe ee comicbooks ~ eer me: Poe