Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 388: what you’re looking at

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

380 Naples itself. My father became involved in a political conspiracy which was headed by a great nobleman—a rich, liberal, and well-meaning man —the Count of Camerino.” “ Ah!” ejaculated Agnes: “the Count of Came- rinoP” “Yes, Miss,” responded Corinna. you have heard of him ?” “Yes,” said Agnes. “I have a friend who is attached to the Embassy at the Neapolitan Court ; and he became acquainted with the Count of Came. rino—it was about last Christmas A “ Ah! at the time when the Count was arrested in Naples — when his unfortunate wife drowned herself—and his son perished upon the scaffold !— Yes—my father told me all these dreadful events,” continued Corinna; “for you must know that my father is a devoted partisan of his lordship’s. Ah, Miss! you do not happen to know what has become of him ?” “No: I am unable to give you any information on that head,” replied Agnes. ‘It was at the be- ginning of the present year—in the early part of January—that his son Viscount Silvio was exe- cuted; and immediately afterwards the Count of Camerino left Naples. My friend the attaché at the Embassy has not since heard of him.” “Ah! if we only knew where the Count might be communicated with,” observed Corinna, with a sigh, “we should not be left in this state of poverty! It is now nearly two years since my father fled from Naples: it was in the month of January, 1848—at the time of the memorable explosion of what has always been called the Camerino conspiracy ws “That same conspiracy the discovery of which caused the Count himself to flee from Naples P” interjected Agnes. ‘“ Yes— Mr. De Vere, the friend to whom I have alluded, has frequently mentioned these circumstances in his letters. And when your father fled from Naples, he came to England, I presume P” ““Yes—we came to England,” answered Corinna; “for my mother was of English extraction,— although she had lived so many years in Italy as to be almost the same asanative. Thus when the explosion of the conspiracy compelled my father to take to flight, he resolved upon coming to England; for my mother entertained the hope of finding some of her kindred still living ye “Ah! then your mother was alive at that time?” asked Agnes. “Yes, Miss: she left Naples with us—but alas! scarcely had we set foot upon the English soil, when she was seized with a severe illness, which in afew weeks carried her tothe grave. Oh! our advent to this country of your’s was in every sense inauspicious indeed!”—and again cid the tears trickle down Corinna’s cheeks. “And was your mother unsuccessful,’ asked Agnes after a pause, and speaking in a low gentle voice, “in discovering the relatives whom she ex- pected to find still alive in this country ?” “‘The inquiries that were instituted immediately efter our arrival in London,” responded Corinna, “were all fruitless; and I believe—alas! I fear in- deed, that disappointment on this score, added to the presentiment that poverty would overtake the family, aggravated my poor mother’s illness, and thus superadded the malady of the mind to that of “ IT see that ga AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, the body. Oh! indeed, Miss, we have been very. very unfortunate: but still amidst all our poverty we might yet be resigned to our lot, if we were not suffering under this uncertainty in reference to my dear brother ue “Your brother?” exclaimed Agnes, glancing at the littie boy, and wondering what could pos. sibly be the meaning of Corinna’s words. “Oh! I do not mean this brother,’ exclaimed the Neapolitan girl. , “Tt is brother Giulio that Corrie is talking of,” said the boy. “You seem to think you had previously men- tioned him to me,” said Agnes; “but such is not the case.” “Ah! I thought I had mentioned Giulio’s name,” said Corinna, “ when I was speaking of our flight from Naples: but I am always so dis- turbed the instant I approach this topic, that my mind appears to grow bewildered 4g “* My poor girl,” said Agnes, “I myself should be much afflicted if I thought that you fancied all these questions on my part were being put through mere idle curiosity. No, Corinna!—but if you permit me I will be your friend! If your father will consent to accept such assistance as I may be enabled to afford uy “Oh, Miss!” exclaimed the Italian girl, with tears again sparkling in her eyes, “ how kind, how generous is all this on your part! Oh, my father would bless you !—yes, my poor afflicted parent would invoke heaven’s choicest benedictions upon your head, if you would only furnish him with the means of undertaking a journey to Florence RY “ Cheerfully will I do so,” answered Agnes, “But I should think that from all you have just been telling me it would be most dangerous for your father to set foot in Italy?” * Danger only exists with regard to him in the Neapolitan dominions,” rejoined Corinna; “ he may visit the Tuscan States in perfect security and confidence. And, Oh! if he could only once got to Florence s “Has he friends or relatives there?” Agnes. ‘My brother Giulio,” responded Corinna: “ for Oh, it is impossible that these misgivings so gloomy and ominous which sometimes come over my father, and which are so infectious not merely with ree gard to myself, but likewise in respect to these dear children, — Oh! it’s impossible, I say, that these misgivings can be well-founded ” “What is it that you apprehend?” inquired Agnes. “ Alas, that my brother Giulio may be no more!” rejoined Corinna. “I must inform you, Miss, that at the time when the Camerino conspiracy ex- ploded in Naples in the month ot January, 1848— that is about one-and-twenty months ago, — my brother Giulio, then upwards of ‘eighteen years of age, was at the University of Padua, where he was studying for the bar. The storm which swept my father and ourselves from Naples, burst with the suddenness of a hurricane; and there was no time to communicate with Giulio. It was not until we touched at Marseilles on our way to England, that we were enabled to pen a single line to acquaint him with our flight and our safety. But alas! the same blow which ruined my father’s fortunes, dealt destruction to the hopes of Giulio’s own asked comicbooks \ ee om