Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

the salaries of the employés in the Ministry of Police remain unpaid for the past month?” ** My financial secretary,” answered Ramorino, “omitted to give me the usual list until this after- noon, when it was too late to pay the salaries; but it is my purpose to liquidate the amounts the first thing to-morrow morning.” The Minister of Finance listened with a cold patience while Ramorino was speaking: and then he said, ‘‘ This is most extraordinary, my lord; for your financial secxetary tells quite a different tale.” “Ah!” ejaculated Ramorino. “I know not what tale my financial secretary may tell; but I am confident your Excellency will not believe a subordinate in preference to me, his master.” “Ob, it is for your Excellency to settle a reckon- ing of this kind with the individual himself,” re- joined the Minister of Finance. ‘All I know is that your financial secretary complained to me this very evening, that although he gave your Excellency the usual list of salaries on the 31st of October 4 “Tt is false, my lord!’ cried Ramorino vehe- mently: “totally false !” “Then doubtless your lordship,” resumed the Minister of Finance, “ will send at once to the financial secretary, and in my presence put him io possession of the funds requisite for the payment of the salaries ?” * What! at this hour ?” exclaimed Ramorino. * Tt is close upon ten o’clock! You would not have me attend to business at such a time in the evening ?” “At any hour—at any time,” responded the Minister of Finance, “ when the honour of a man and of a statesman is to be vindicated.” Ramorino looked hard at bis colleague, and said, “You are speaking, my lord, as if you actuallly suspected that I am capable of some deed to which I will not more particularly allude.” The Minister of Finance looked still more piercingly and scrutinizingly at the Minister of Police, and said, ‘‘ You actually speak, my lord, as if you were unable to give a refutation to the charge laid by your financial secretary.” ** Charge ?” echoed Ramorino. “ The term is a strange one, my lord!” “Yet it does amount to a charge,” responded the Minister of Finance ; “ for your secretary is prepared to repeat it to-morrow in the presence of the Prime Minister—and even in that of the Grand Duke himself, if necessary.” “ This is simply preposterous!” ejaculated Ra- morino, affecting to smile with contempt. “ I tell you, my lord, that at nine o’clock to-morrow morning the salaries shall all be paid £: * And I tell you, my lord,’ interrupted the Minister of Finance, with the strongest em- phasis, “ that unless you this night convince me that the sum you so recently drew from the Trea- sury is safe in your keeping, I shall deem it my duty to make a prompt report to the Prime Minister, and therein to embody such evidence as I have received from the lips of your financial secretary.” These were strong words for one minister to address unto another: but the financier saw that he was fully justified in so doing; and gradually, but surely and unerringly, had he been pushing EEE eaten AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, his colleague Ramorino into a corner. Count were not guilty of the charge implied against him, would he not at once indignantly repel it, and convince his colleague that the accu- sation was an atrocious falsehood ? would he not for his own honour’s sake hasten to show that the money was safe in his keeping, and thus sustain the apology that the non-payment of the salaries arose from an unavoidable cause of delay ? “TI tell you again, my lord,” said Ramorino, whom it cost many painful efforts to support an external air of composure, “ that everything shall be put straight to-morrow morning, when the clerks arrive at the Prefecture at nine o'clock. What more would you have ?” “ IT would fain see your private banking-book,” rejoined the Minister of Finance; “ or else I would see the sum itself in the strong box at tho Pre- fecture.” “You shall see it, my lord,” replied Ramorino, with a steady calmuess of countenance. ‘TI shall be engaged for an hour: but if you will have the goodness to meet me at eleven o'clock pune- tually, at the Prefecture of Police, I will convince your Excellency that your suspicions are most in- jurious—most insulting : “Koough, my lord!” interjected the Minister of Finance ; “ you cannot do more than give me the proof which you have promised—and I cannot do less under the circumstances than to demand it, You will see that I know how to offer an apology where I give offence. At eleven o’clock punctu- ally I shall be at the Prefecture of Police.” The Minister of Finance bowed, and issued from the room, somewhat surprised at the result of the interview, for he had fancied that he should have seen the Count of Ramorino grovelling at his feet: but still he was by no means convinced that the promised proof would be afforded at the hour that was appointed. CHAPTER XXIV. THE MONEY-LENDER. THE moment the door closed behind the Minister of Finance, the Count of Ramorino knit his brows, ground his teeth, and clenched his fists with a sudden access of rage; and he ejaculated, “ By heaven! circumstances seem to grow darker and darker—and threatening clouds to spring up on every side! But no time is to be lost! there are a myriad difficulties to be met and a thousand evils to be staved off this night! To-morrow, ruin or success !—destruction or security! Which alter- native is it to be ?” He now hastened to the apartment where he had left Lucrezia; and he found her labouring under the utmost agitation and anxiety — for she had been wondering why he returned not, Minutes were now ages to the guilty woman; and in every circumstance, even the most triviai, she beheld the grisly phantom of danger rising up be- fore her. “ What have you done?” she asked, rushing forward to meet her husband. “ Does everything go on well P—are the arrests effected P” ; “The necessary orders have been given,” replied COMMiclboolk< For if the } =}