Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

| to the Marchioness. — gallery was at no great distance ; and he succeeded | 15 AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. “To THE MARCHIONESS DI MIRANO, “Your ladysbip is earnestly requested to re- pair to the picture-gallery so soon as the guests shall have taken their departure and the mansion shall have relapsed into tranquillity. It vitally concerns you to keep this appointment,—and not merely to keep it, but to maintain likewise the utmost caution and secrecy, The person who pens this billet, will find the means of communicating with your ladyship in the place thus appointed.” Having written these lines in a hand so com- pletely disguised that Marcellin felt convinced the real authorship could not possibly be suspected, he folded the billet, placed it in an envelope, which he secured with sealing-wax, and then addressed it He left the letter lying upon the table, and stole forth from the boudoir, again mufiled up in his capacious cloak and with the cape concealing his countenance. The picture- —_ — SE in reaching it unobserved by a single soul; for the Mirano mansion was vast—most of the men- servants were engaged at the time in waiting at the supper-table—and her ladyship’s maids were availing themselves of the opportunity to enjoy a little feast of their own in the servants’ -hall. The picture-gallery was lighted; and Marcellin hesitated for a moment whether he should extin- guish the lamps, or leave this office to be presently performed by one of the domestics, “Tf I leave them lighted, I can conceal myself behind this screen,” he thought. ‘“ But then sup- | pose ‘that the servants should take it into their | beads to make the most careful examination to ensure themselves that all is safe? I might be discovered! On the other hand, if I extinguish the lights, the domestic who may presently come | in to ‘perform that task, will most likely fancy that another seryant has been beforehand with | him. Yes !—’tis the safer plan!” Having thus made up his mind how to act, Edgar Marcellin extinguished the lamps in the | picture-gallery, and then threw himself upon a, sofa that was behind the screen to which allusion has already been made. The time passed heavily—languidly—wearily. | Marcellin heard some adjacent church clock pro- | claim the hour of one: then an age seemed se follow ere the same clock struck two. But now the din of equipages in the court-yard of the man- sion began to meet his ears: he heard “carriage | after carriage rolling out of the spacious enclosure | into the street; and then at last the huge portals | at the entrance were closed with a reverberating | sound. A few minutes afterwards the door of the | picture-gallery was opened, and a voice ejaculated | in an evident tone of surprise, “ Ah! already ex- tinguished !” Then the door was at once closed again; and the rapidly retreating steps of the domestic who had thus for a moment peeped in, fell upon the ears of Edgar Marcellin. “ Now,” he thought to himself, “ the moment 18 approaching when the murderess and I shall meet face to face |” i ————————— , CHAPTER IV. THE TWO LUCEEZIAS. THE entertainment was over—the company had dispersed—the last of the guests had taken their leave of the noble hostess and her friend the Signora Ciprina. These two ladies now remained alone together, in the splendid saloon to which the company had returned for a parting dance after supper. Ciprina had not lost sight of the incident of the purse ; neither had she forgotten the circum- — ee eee eee eee stance that the hand of the Marchioness was as cold as that of death when she restored the purse to her keeping. Ciprina saw that there was some~- thing wrong—bué she could not comprehend what. She did not believe a single syllable of the tale which Lucrezia had told in respect to leaving the purse behind her in the conservatory; for though this tale was told at the time with the most natu- ral air of sincerity, yet Ciprina thought that in its construction it was clumsy, and was only such an one as could have been invented off-hand to meet a sudden emergency. Therefore Ciprina felt assured that something very disagreeable bad happened in connexion with the incident of the purse; and she thought that the moment she and the Marchioness were alone together, the latter would give her some explanation. But Lucrezia said not a syllable upon the subject: she seemed to be in haste to retire to her own apart- ments; and she at once bade Ciprina ‘“ Good night,” in the same affectionate terms which they were wont to adopt towards one another. Tbe Marchioness did indeed desire to be alone, The incident of the purse had filled her soul with trouble—almost with desperation. It was scarcely possible to mistake the meaning of the incident. Paoli must have by some extraordinary and un- accountable means learnt something which led him to scorn the gold given by the hand of the Marchioness. But what could he have learnt ?>— was it only that while speaking fairly she had been acting foully? that while affecting to com- passionate him, she had been treacherously plotting for his banishment from Florence? Or was it anything of a still more serious character that he had discovered?—had he abruptly and unex- pectedly stumbled upon some clue immediately after parting from her,—a clue that was leading him on in a different track from that im which she had sought to place him? She knew not what to think nor what to conjecture. It had been for her the agony of pandemonium to maintain a smiling countenance during the long hoars that had elapsed since the throwing of the purse through the casement of the saloon: it was one prolonged excruciation so horrible that it was indeed no wonder if she should seek the earliest moment which was afforded her to be alone! The Marchioness reached her boudoir, where she threw herself upona sofa. Two lady’s-maids— young and beautiful, as were all the damsels who were engaged in Lucrezia’s service—at once came forth from the dressing-room to attend upon their mistress. We should observe that there were numerous handmaidens in the Mirano mansion: and they kept their duly appointed turns in at oO MICELI KS GC co Oe Nr (C©) 5}