Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 235: what you’re looking at

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

rrr rrr ee ee ee er eee ee ee AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASUEE. maker’a shop. She paused for a few moments: | Was asking just now if my niece had got a litile then she passed by the shop—and darting a glance through the window, she saw the gunmaker ex- hibiting and explaining to the quadroon the movement and action of a beautiful revolver- pistol. Catrina passed on: but soon turning back, she again walked by the shop window; and this time she beheld the quadroon herself holding the pistol in her hand, while the rapid succession of clicking sounds which reached Catrina’s ear made ber aware that the new lodger was practising the mode of dealing with the pistol according to the explanation she had just received from the gun- maker himself. Catrina dared not hang any longer about the shop, for fear lest she should be observed and her conduct should seem suspicious: she ac- cordingly retreated to a little distance, where from beneath gq gateway she kept watch on the qua- droon’s movements. In about ten minutes Emily came forth from the gunmaker’s shop: then she seemed to hesitate for a moment as to the direction in which she should proceed, or else in reference to the next affair that she might have in hand: but that un- certainty was soon cleared up, for it was now with rapidity that the quadroon continued her way slong the street. Catrina still followed at a suit- - able distance; and at length she saw the quadroon turn into a chemist’s shop. Catrina passed the window, which was brilliantly lighted; and at that very moment she saw the chemist who was stand- ing behind the counter, shake his head as if giving a decisive negative to some query that had been put to him or to some request that had been made by Emily. Catrina darted away across the street ; and almost immediately afterwards the quadroon came forth from the chemist’s. Again she stood with an air of uncertainty close by the threshold: and then it seemed as if she once more made up her mind with a certain degree of abrupt- ness how to act. She sped along the street until another chemist’s shop was reached; and this she entered. Signora Petroro suffered 2 minute or two to elapse ; and then she passed by this window as she had done in respect to the others. She now perceived the master of that shop filling a small phial from a large glass bottle; and as Catrina lingered for a few moments, she observed that the chemist said. something with a very earnest look to the quadroon. Catrina retreated to the opposite side of the street, where she concealed herself under a gateway until Emily Barrington came forth from the chemist’s. Then, as the quadroon began at once to retrace her steps without any appearance of deliberation, hesitation, or uncer- tainty, Catrina felé assured that her purchases were all made and that she was’ bending her way homeward. WDarting down a by-street, Catrina soon reached her brother’s dwelling. When the quadroon returned to the house, the front door was opened by Petroro’s daughter: but Catrina was seen seated in the little parlour, with a kerchief tied over her head, which was supported by her arm, as if she were still ill and suffering. “What!” ejaculated the quadroon; “ have you not taken my advice and retired to rest ?” “IT thank you, signora, for your kind sympathy,” responded Catriva; “but I really have not had cosrage to move from my seat since you left the homae———I_ mean that I feel ao faint andill. JI Ln | perfume ——”’ ““T have plenty up-stairs,” ejaculated Emily. “Come with me, my girl, and I will give you some for your aunt.” The young maiden followed the quadroon up to the apartments on the first floor; and Emily said, “Wait one moment, my girl, while I put away these purchases that I have been making.” “Pray do not hurry yourself, signora,” said Petroro’s daughter. The qtiadroon opened a bureau in her bed- chamber; and sho deposited on a shelf the pur- chases she had been making—one being a some- what large parcel, at least for a lady to carry—and the other a very small one. She locked tho bureau, and secured the key about her person. She then opened an elegant dressing-case which she possessed ; and taking forth a bottle, she ex- claimed, “ Here, my girl, give this perfume to your aunt, and bid her bathe her head with it. I shall be much mistaken if it do not benefit her.” The ted-chamber opened from the sitting-rijom; and the young maiden now advanced from the threshoid where she had been standing; and taking the bottle of perfume, she expressed her thanks for Mrs. Barrington’s kindness. Descending the stairs, she sought the parlour where she had left her aunt, who now no longer looked liked one that had a headache, but she was all eager curi- osity to receive some information which she seemed to expect. “There are two parcels, aunt,” whispered the niece, with a significant look. “ One isa tulerably large one, and seemed heavy i “Ah! this was from the gunsmith’s. the other P” “A very small one indeed—neatly enveloped in blue paper - “The one from the chemist’s !’” interjected the aunt. “It isas I thought. What else, my dear girl ?”’ “The lady has put them away very carefully in the bureau in her bed-chamber,” rejoined the maiden; “and she has secured the key about her person,” ‘Good, my dear girl!” said Catrina, tapping her pretty niece caressingly on the cheek: and then she mentally added, “ Fortunately there are two keys to that bureau, and I haye got one of them !” Again did Catrina muffle herself in the cloak ; and again did she sally forth. She was not more than about half-an-hour absent; but when she returned, she also had two parcels in her posses- s100,—one being somewhat large and heavy, and the other a very small one neatly enveloped in blue paper. On tho following day, at about eleven o’clock in the forenoon, Charles De Vere called at Petrero’s house; and after having had some little conyersa- tion with Catrina, he ascended to the sitting-room on the first foor, He found the quadroon seated upon the sofa in an elegant morning deshabillée; and the masses of her dark hair were flowiag all negligently over her shoulders. She did not rise as Le entered: put she extended her hand—and in a languid tone, she said, “So you have come, Mr. De Vere: you have come to hear my decision# e Well, and IIE POD NS OE Ne ee ee 6 OR en ee eee CoE = oO 5} C© nn) Ghook CO