Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

-_ —-—* —_.._ 28 seated at her work-table. The room was elegantly furnished: there were beautiful statuettes of alabaster upon the mantel; and vases of flowers gave a perfume to the air. Though both the maidens were surpassingly beautiful, yet was there a contrast in their styles of loveliness as well as a marked difference in their dispositions and habits. Floribel had hair of raven darkness, while that of Agnes was of the precious hue in which the auburn resembles light burnished gold. Floribel had large dark eyes, the light of which was not flashing nor dazzling; but it was a lustre that seemed to swim as it were in a soft languor, which would even have been sensuous, were it not attem- pered by the unmarred innocence and unspoilt purity of her mind:—while on the other hand Agnes had large blue eyes, clear and deep in their hue, soft in their expression almost to melancholy, and so full of reflection and feeling that they seemed only made to contemplate the heavens. Floribel’s complexion had the slightest and faintest tinge of the brunette, but with a rich sunny tint upon the cheeks, where the warm blood mantled at times, with any passing emotion, into the depth of the carnation. ‘The complexion of Agnes was stainlessly fair, beautifully transparent, ana with the polish of the marble on it: yet it was not of a dull dead white, nor that opaque paleness which constitutes inanimation itself: it was the pure warm living flesh most delicately tinted with a pale pink, which deepened upon the cheeks into the softest blush of the rose. Youth and health lent all their charms to both countenances and to both forms: but the expression of Floribel’s face was that of a languid joyousness—while that of Agnes was chastened into a serene and tranquil happivess. Then, in respect to the shape, that of Floribel elready betokened the expanding luxuriance of a Hebe-like beauty; while that of Agnes had the slenderness of the sylph, softly modelled and moulded into an admirgbie justness of proportions, There was a glowing richness about the whole per- son of Floribel which seemed to denote a nature whose feelings would be warm and whose passions would be strong if subjected to the influences cal- culated for their development: — while the more etherialised soul of Agnes appeared to shine and breathe through her with the chastest reflection. There was a certain idea of luxuriousness irresisti. bly associated with Floribel: while Agnes was in- vested, as an angel, with a halo of purity and innocence, You would look for love in its soft voluptuousness in the dark eyes of Floribel :—you would look for it in its most ssthetic purity in the eyes of Agnes. You would fancy that the former was fitted to lounge out her existence upon the luxurious cushions of an oriental harem: while you would think of Agnes as a being of whom you could not only be proud as a wife, but on whom you could rely in the fullest confidence for the ful- filment of all the sacred duties of that position. You could conceive that a husband might take de- light in bebolding the superb form of Floribel clothed in richest velvet, with gems flashing amidst her raven hair, pendant to her ears, circlirg her neck and finely modelled arms, and shining upon the luxuriant contours of ber half-exposed bust :— ut on the other hand you could imagine that a busband would be best pleased to behold AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. Agnes in the simplest apparel, trusting to her own beauty as her chief adornment, a simple camellia contrasting with the golden glory of her hair, and the eye of the observer being left to imagino instead of to feast itself upon the charms which the high corsage of the raiment should conceal. In a word, if a sculptor or a painter required a model for the personification of PueasuRE, Flori- bel might best be chosen: while if on the other hand a model was required for the delineation of BEAUTY in all its virgin purity and its immaculate innocence, Agnes would be the object of the statu- ary’s or the limner’s choice. Yet it must not be supposed from the above description which we have given of Floribel, that she was devoid of good principles, or that there was grossness in her thoughts. Constitutionally she was indolent; and by nature she wads thus luxurious in her appearance. She would prefer the amusement of a novel to those tasks of em- broidery, light work, and really intellectual studies with which her fair cousin was wont to while away her own time. If Floribel could have had her own way, she would have been every evening at parties and amidst gay society: while on the other hand Agnes would have been thankful if no myi- tations and no visits ever came to disturb the even tenour of her existence. Floribel was fond of decorating the apartments with costly ornaments or frivolous nick-nacks: while Agnes was contented if she beheld the vases filled with beautiful flowers. Floribel lay late in bed of a morning, especially ia winter, when she shivered at the slightest cold: but Agnes always rose early—in summer to walk in the garden before breakfast, and in winter to bustle about in order to promote by activity that healthful circulation of the blood which could not be acquired by bending over the fire. Thus, as the reader has seen, there was a re- markable contrast between the two cousins—not merely in the styles of their personal beauty, but likewise in their tastes, dispositions, habits, and characters. We might elaborate a thousand little details in order to exemplify the latter differences: but we have said enough to enable the reader to form his idea of them; and the progress of our narrative will in its incidents tend to the further development of the contrast. It was, as we have said, about one o’clock in the afternoon, when Floribel and Agnes were in their elegantly furnished little boudoir, — the former reclining indolently upon the sofa, the latter engaged with her embroidery. The time- piece upon the mantel proclaimed the hour: and Floribel started up, crying, “ Good heavens ! is it so late? I had not an idea that it was more than eleven o'clock !”’ “ You must have been completely absorbed, my dear cousin,” answered the gentle Agnes, with a smile, ‘‘in that volume which you have been read- ing.” The book had however long ago glided from Floribel’s hand, and was lying upon the carpet. * Yes—no,” she said, snatching it up: “1 have not been reading it for an hour past. I do not much like it. The heroine appears to stand upon the most ridiculous scruples when the alternatives are to obey her cruel parents or else to run away with her lover; and he himself is a hero not over and above to my taste—for if he had only pressed Comilelooolkxs TS ST ee | | ———— (C(O)