Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 128: what you’re looking at

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

120 SCONES; GR, PZAUTY AND PLEASUEE. lotta!” said Ciprina; “for if it really ba in my “ Yes—faithfully promised. Ob, he is the very power to advise or to assist you, 1 will do it! soul of honour!” exelaimed Carlotta Belluno. “Of Come, let me help you towards imparting this this I have been convinced from the very outset of confidence—let me make a conjecture. You love our acquaintance: but I was nevertheless well Sir Alexander Holcrof: ?” | pleased to hear all the eulogies which you just “ Yes—and he loves me in return,” replied the! now passed upon him. Ab! it is impossible to blusbing Carlotta. “He has offered to make me help loving him—and he has said the same to me his wife.” in his letters! Last night at this party —— “Has be demanded your hand in marriage of where, by the bye, there were some more Eaglish your father?” asked Ciprina. guests—they are travelling on their way from “No—hbe bas not dared: for I have told him Ravenna to Florence, and they have stopped for how useless it would be! My father detests the a few days at Bagno——I will mention their English. Besides, be has promised my hand to names in case you should happen to know them. an old nobleman—a man who by his years might There are the Hon. Hector and Mrs. Hard- be my great grandfather. Ah! is not this shock- | ing, my dear friend ?” “Shocking!” echoed Ciprina. =WYou think, therefore, that your father would prove inexorable 7” “Ab! if you knew my father,” rejoined Car- | lotta, “ you would nct ask such a question! Yes —he would prove inexorable—and he would over- | whelm me with his anger! You see there- fore 2 “ I see,” said Ciprina, “ that your parents are in total ignorance at least I presume the Sigoora Belluno is thus ignorant, as well as your father ?” “ Yes—both my parents. And I have not even. revealed my love for the English Baronet, in the | confessional to Pather Falconara.”’ “Where did you first meet Sir Alexander Hol- | croft?” asked Ciprina. “ He has been staying for the last two months with one of the Eaghsh families to which I just new alluded, and who are settled at Bazno. It seems that he had a very severe illness in the sammer at Naples: his physicians recommended Lim to court the Apennine breezes—he had friends et Bagno—and therefore he came hither. I have met bim at parties re “Aod elsewhere perhaps, my dear Carlotta,” said Ciprins, with an arch smile. “ Lovers always have their secret meetings—in some shady grove, or on the bank of some pellucid stream 3 “I have never once been alone with Sir Alex- ander Holeroft,” replied Carlotta. “Ob! yoa would be amazed if you knew how completely I am the victim of parental despotism! My father never permits me to pass out of the fortress alone. | In this sense [ am almost es much a captive as you yourselfare! And think of the humiliation, | my dear friend!—if at this very moment I were to go and present myself at the outer-gate of the | eastle—Ah! would you believe it? that gate | would remain closed against me! And yet I de- | clere to you most solemnly that I have never done | anything to provoke this utter want of confidence | on the part of my parents!” “But if you have had no opportunities of meet- ing Sir Alexander Holeroft alone,” said Ciprina, “you must at least have established some means of msintaining a correspondence with him ?” “ Ab, yes,” said Carlotta, a deep blash mantling pon her countenance. “It was ne who arranged that means of correspondence——and Oh! he has | written me such beautiful letters! so full of pro-— testations cf love yes, and so complimentary to myself =” “And he has promised to espouse you?” said Ciprina. ' ” ress “ Ah, Cicely!” ejaculated Ciprina, with a look of surprise. “Yes—I know her well—and her busband Mr. Hardress too.” “ And there is bis sister the Hon. Miss Josephine Hardress,” continued Carlotta—“a sweet charm- ing young lady! Mrs. Hardress herself is a very fine woman. What a beaatiful complexion! what softness in her large blue eyes! what superb teeth! The only fault in her face is that her lips seem to be somewhat too full, giving acertain prominency to the mouth——” . “Ab! but you are forgetting all your own nar- rative, my dear friend :” interrupted Ciprina. “Pray proceed. You just now said that time was precious——” “ And heaven knows it is so!” Car- lotta emphatically. “Bat I am so bewildered —so agitated—and so confused——yes, and I am also ashamed to tell youa——I feel half-fright- ened ¥ “What! are you afraid of me?” asked Ciprina reproachfally. ‘ Have I not vowed to serve you, if possible, to the utmost ?” “Ob, I will tell you everything!” cried the | young damsel, flinging her arm round Ciprina’s peck. “There is to be an afternoon comversaziona to-day: it is to commence between one and two o’clock——-and Ah! my dear friend, last evening Sir Alexander whispered some few words in my -ear—they conveyed a request—and I gave an ? affirmative reply-——" “T think I begin to understand,” said Ciprina, who saw that unless she encouraged Carlotta to proceed, the explanations never would be finished, —* TI taink I begin to understand what the re- quest was to which your affirmative answer was given. Sir Alexander Holcroft proposed an elope- ment ?” Carlotta blushed a deeper scarlet than ever, as she falteringly murmured, “ Yes—it was so.” * Well,” continued Ciprina ; “ and now I suppose something has occurred to derange the plan?” “ Alas, yes!” responded Carlotta. “My father and mother will not go to the conversazione, in consequence of the eseape of the English gentle- man—they do not feel in a humour to mix in society ——” “And they will not suffer you to go alone?” said Ciprina inquiringly. —_ “T could no more proceed to that conversazione by myself,” replied the young damsel, “ than you, my dear friend, have a chance of crossing the threshold of the fortress within the next five minutes, Oh, is it not di ing ?” “ Bat surely Sir Alexander Holcroft,” said | | GComichoo nn) S co rT a: