Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 238: what you’re looking at

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

222 ee la ee TT 230 AGNES; OB, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. that Theodore Clifford was your lover—your para- mour ‘‘ You remember how you burst into the cham- ber with a brace of pistols in your hands?” cried Cicely. “Ah! but knowing he was the seducer of my sister,’ rejoined Hector, “I was goaded to mad- ness by the thought that he had seduced my wife also! Let that pass—and let us speak no more of it. Iam not jealous as an orainary rule: or, at all events, I need not be if you are going to enter into an arravgement that we will allow each other leave and license for mutually following our ca- prices 4: “Enough! we understand each other !” ejacu- lated Cicely. “Goand seek Floribel Lister. I know that is what you wish to do.” “Tt is. And you, on the other hand,” said Hector, “may prepare your batteries of wiles and blandishments for Charles De Vere. But recollect, Cicely, be has the credit of being what is called a very good, steady, prudent young man. Not that I have any faith in a young man’s virtue Gs ‘This is a point which we will not discuss,” in- terjected Cicely. “Suffice it tosay that Iam vain enough to bepe and believe that Charles De Vere is not quite so much of an anchorite or a saint . “ As to resist the blandishments of a good-look- ing woman?” exclaimed Hardress. “No! you are right, Cicely! But Ah! is there not one con- sideration whick will haye its weight with you. Charies De Vere is engaged, as rumour says, to Agnes Evelyn—and Agnes is a great friend of yours F “Ob, but friendship in such matters goes for nothing! Agnes will never hear of it. It is but a passing caprice; and therefore when De Vere shall have become the busbaad of Agnes, there will be no pretensions nor claims on my part to trouble his mind or to break in upon their matrimonial happiness.” “Ah! did not Floribel beg and entreat you, Cicely,” inquired Hardress, “that you would | never mention to Agnes that she was identical with that Ciprina who, as the associate of the Marchioness di Mirano, had not improved her reputation ?”’ ‘“‘“Yes—Floribel made that request,” responded Cicely, “and as a matter of course it shall be ful- tilled.” “One word more!” cried Hector. “You and I need not suffer Josephine to know anything about the pleasent little compact into which we have both entered,” “ Assuredly not!” answered Cicely. “ And now vo and ascertain, if possible, which direction Flo- ribel took when she quitted the Tuscan capital. You will have to be minute in your inguiries— yes, and persevering too —inasinuch as it is now a fortnight siuce she left 3 “Believe me, Cicely,” interrupted Hardress, “that I shall leave no stone unturned in order to get upon the track of the fugitive !” Having thus spoken, Hector Hardress quitted the room; and Cicely sat down to pen a note to Charles De Vere. When she had despatched it, she reflected upon the manner in which she should receive bim—the toilet that she should wear—and ‘he method in which she should open the batteries of her charms and qiles, At longth she deter. mined upon appearing in her morning megligés— the dress that was most undress, and afforded the greatest scope for all those little artful coquetries by which a woman appeole to the passions of one who she wishes to enslave. he looked at herself in the glass; and never had her beautiful com- plexion appeared more transparent. The morsing wrapper that she wore not merely defined all her contours, but might be readily mado to afford a glimpse of the glowing charms as if by some acci- dental movement or gesture on her part. Then, if she threw herself with a lounging air of self-aban- donment into a large arm-chair, she might readily display the well-rounded ankles and the long nar- row shapely feet upon the elegantly worked otto- man. As for the expression of her eyes, they became full of a sensuous languor as she thought of the handsome Charles De Vere. It was easy for her to make Josephine Hardress comprehend that she wished to be alone presently with Mr. De Vere when he should be announced ; for she alleged as an excuse that she wished to speak seriously to him relative to Mrs. Barrington, who had departed so abruptly from the hotel in the forenoon of the preceding day. Josephine— though by no means inexperienced, nor wanting in penetration—nevertheless readily gave her sister- in-law credifé for sincerity in the matter; and she therefore kept to her own apartment. . It was about two o’clock in the afternoon when our hero reached the hotel in obedience to Cicely’s Summons, He inquired for Mrs. Hardress, and was at once conducted up to the room where she waited to receive him. He beheld her lying back in the great arm-chair with her feet upon the otto- man—dressed in the gauzy muslin deshabillée— and with a certain Janguor in her IJook, which gave ber the air as if she had just awakened up from some soft voluptuous dream. Yet not for an in- stant did Charles conceive that all this was artfully studied and provocative towards himself: he fan- cied that though he had been sent for, yet that his arrival at that moment was unexpected. Bowing with his customary politeness, he said, “I re- ceived your note, Mrs, Hardress; and I hastened to obey the summons,” Without rising from her seat, Cicely gave him her hand; and for a moment it struck Charles there was a slight pressure—something more than was usually associated with the grasp of mere ac- quaintances; but the next instant the idea vanished from his brain. “Sit down, Mr. De Vere,” said Cicely, indicat- ing a chair that was near her own; “ for I have several topics to talk to you about. That dusky- complexioned lady, Mrs. Barrington—what have you done with her? She certainly behaved very rudely to me after all the trouble I took ” “ She was in haste to get away from the hotel,” replied Charles. “The truth is, Mrs. Hardress, she was ashamed of meeting you after such an ex- posure.”’ “ And what was the quarrel all about ?” inquired Cicely; “for the quadroon-lady entered into no explanations with me, and of course I asked her for none. At all events, Mr. De Vere,’ added Cicely, with a sly look, “ she seemed very anxious to have you sent for as scon as possible !” “Tt is a most unfortunate affair,” aaid Charles, ' with an air of vexatioa. Comichboo S|