Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 109: what you’re looking at

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

ECL EL SST _ slnennsssesesssnsssssssssiissesssustthstsssness i rr AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. fellow’s countenance when that ejaculation burst forth from his lips. But as the sbirro flew at the young English- man to tear him down from his steed, the intrepid Charles dealt bis assailant a tremendous blow with the butt-end of a pistol : the fellow reeled back— and away sped our hero as if borne on the wings of a whirlwind. “To horse!” shouted the official, the moment he recovered sufficiently from the blow to give the ery. "His companion sbirri, who had seen the en- counter and the repulse which their comrade ex- perienced, required nothing more to make them aware that something was wrong : they sprang to- wards their steeds, and in a few moments Charles was again the object of an exciting chase. The horse which he bestrode tore along the ground: but the sounds of the pursuing animals were soon wafted to his ears. At a little distance ahead there was another wood; and our hero was resolved to make for it as the only means of es- caping from the enemy. The beaten path did not lead to the wood: it descended farther into the vale. Charles leapt a wide brook, and galloped across a level ground towards the wood. Just as he entered it, he looked back, and saw his pur- suers were urging their own animals across the stream. He rode forward into the wood for about five minutes—then struck off abruptly to the right —and then after a short interval as abruptly to the right again; so that he emerged from the wood on the very same side by which he had en- tered it, though at a point much lower down. He could see nothing of his pursuers; he hoped that he had baffled them, and that they had either ridden straight through the wood, or else were still beating about in its mazes. MRetracing his way across the level ground, he again made his horse leap the stream ; and once more within the besten road, he pursued his course in the direction of the water-mill and of the village to which we ere now alluded. In about a quarter of a hour he left the water-mill behind him on the left hand; and he was looking around to ascertain whether there were any indications of pursuit, when his eyes settled upon a lonely habitation, but which had & most picturesque appearance. It was a white house built very much in the style of one of those beautiful little villas in the Wale of Arno; and vines were festooning over its portico. It stood in the midst of a garden protected only by a low fence; and the grounds were tastefully laid out. Our hero could discern the immense bunches of purple grapes which appeared amongst the leaves that had as yet scarcely caught autumn’s embrowning tint, although it was the commence- ment of the month of November of which we are writing. A light was shining through the case- ments of a room on the ground floor; and over those long windows réaching to the ground, the crimson curtains were drawn. Even through these curtains Charles could distinguish the reflection of a cheerful fire playing upon them; and it was with something like a sigh of envy that he thought of the happiness that might possibly be enjoyed by the inmates there, seated at a comfortable hearth, in a warm room, and with a good supper upon the table. Charles reined in his steed as he contemplated 101 that picturesque little villa, and suffered his :ma- gination to depict a scene of comfort within the room whence the roseate light streamed forth. Ah! if he dared call there and ask for refreshment for himself and his steed, as well as for a change of apparel to enable him to pursue his way without molestation on the part of the sbirri who patrolled those mountainous districts! But no!—how could he possibly tell who might live there? He was just on the point of moving away from the spot, when one of the crimson draperies was put aside— the casement opened—and a lady came forth. It however struck Charles at the instant that her only object was to breathe the fresh air or enjoy the beauty of the night; for she stopped short on beholding a horseman in uniform standing close by the fence and gazing so intently upon the habi- tation. The moonbeams fell fully upon her; and Charles at once discerned that the light evening dress that she wore contrasted with the duskiness of her complexion. He was likewise struck by the admirable symmetry of this lady’s figure. She was tall—her neck was long and arching—and the head was well poised upon it.. Masses of coal- black hair rolled in heavy tresess upon the finely sloping shoulders and the superb bust. And then too, a magnificent pair of eyes flung their bright glances upon our hero ;—and thus within the space of a very few moments he became aware that he was in the presence of a dark-complexioned young lady of a most ravishing beauty. She had stopped short, we have said, on behold- ing a horseman posted close by the fence, and whom she naturally at the first glance took to be an officer of justice. But her hesitation speedily vanished ; and advancing towards our hero, she asked in a voice the richness of which seemed full of a golden harmony, “ Did you wish to make any inquiry at this house, signor ?” She spoke in Italian—but with the accent and manner of one who evidently understood the lan- guage indifferently, though the voice itself was so surpassingly melodious. “If I mistake not,” replied Charles, answering her in the same language, “ you are not Italian, signora P” “* No,” she responded, a smile parting her beau- tiful red lips and revealing the two rows of ivory teeth. “ Neither methinks are you—althouch you ought to be:” and the large black eyes swept their glances over the military uniform which our hero wore. ‘Are you French ?” “ No. I am English :’—-and now Charles spoke in his own native tongue ; for he had become im- pressed with the conviction that the lady must belong to one of the West India islands. “ Ah!” she exclaimec, now also speaking in English: “you are a Briton and clad in that apparel ?” “ For God’s sake assist me!” said Charles: “it is a disguise! Ihave escaped from a fortress— the police are looking for me—but I swear to you that I have done no harm!” The quadroon—for such she evidently was by the dusky tint of her complexion—fixed her large dark eyes upon our hero for a few moments as he sprang down from his saddle: she seemed to be fathoming the purposes of his soul, to ascertain whether he had spoken truly and that he was no dishonourable character :—and then, as her hand. MiGIoOo (©) a —— SS co 5}