Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 277: what you’re looking at

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

LL AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. occurred to him that such a proceeding would “ Be kind enough to follow me,” said the lady; be characterized alike by a discourtesy and a and she spoke with a modest affability. cowardice the bare idea of which now all in a moment brought a burning blush to his cheeks. * At all events,” he said, ‘I will wait and have a full explanation with her Highness, so that I may retreat with honour and propriety from these complications, whatsoever they be, wherein I find myself involved.” The sounds of joyous music now again rang through the spacious mansion, and came floating upon the ears of our hero in that retired apart- ment where he was now waiting. He listened ; and he could then distinctly catch the blending of many voices, male and female, in a chorus which was accompanied by that grand music. He was standing near the casement, which was partly open, listening to the concert, when a curious spectacle developed itself to his view. We should further observe that he was leaning against that casement, his countenance so turned that his looks commanded a view of the room, for he was waiting for the door to open for the expected reappearance of the Princess. centro of the apartment there was a round table, covered with a superb scarlet cloth with a gold fringe that swept the floor. This table began to revolve slowly; and Charles was smitten with amazement. He passed his hand across his eyes, and looked again. It was no illusion: the table was still moving by some unseen agency. Our In the Charles hesitated. Not that he mistrusted this fair creature or fancied that she was about to be- guile him into any danger—but because he dreaded lest the farther he plunged into all the mysteries that were developing themselves, the less easy would become his ultimate retreat. “Will you not follow me?” asked the lady, with an air of mingled surprise and remonstrance. * But, Ab! my sister perhaps may not have told you whom you might expect to become your guide. I am the Countess di Milazzo. And now, signor, without another syllable be pleased to follow me.” Still Charles hesitated; and he said, “ Would your ladyship favour me with your patient atten- tion for a few moments—and I will soon ex- plain e * Not here! not here!” interrupted the Countess di Milazzo. ‘Everything you may have to say must be told elsewhere. Come!” Confused and bewildered by all that was passing, and deeply anxious to bring matters to a crisis without any further delay, our hero began to fol- low the lady down a descent of stone steps which the opening in the floor disclosed, and up which she had in the firet instance emerged to his view. When they had descended about twenty of these steps, the Countess grasped a handle attached to a small wheel fixed against the wall of solid masonry; and as she turned the wheel, Charles hero sprang forward ; but he abruptly stopped | became aware that the moveable part of the floor short—for the table, in passing gradually away | on which the centre table stood in the room above, from the centre of the room, was revealing a dark | was now closing overhead. Then from the depths | finished, the Countess continued her descent of the hole or black chasm. thereof a light flashed upward, blending with the rays of the perfumed lamp ; and a female form gradually ascended to the view of our hero. Charles was lost in a bewildering wonderment— and all the more so when he perceived that the lady who thus revealed herself, was of a ravishing beauty. it instantaneously struck him that there was a certain degree of resemblanee between her and the Princess di Spartivento, so that they might possibly be sisters: but this lady who now emerged from the abysm, was three or four years younger than her Highness. Her hair was not quite so dark—but it was more redundant in its masses, which flowed over her shoulders. Her eyes were large and bright ; an expression of sweetness and true feminine modesty was singularly blended with an air of settled firmness and decision. Her ap- parel was not an evening toilet: she wore one of those vests or waistcoats which were just then coming into fashion on the Continent: it was open at the bosom, which was however modestly covered with under-garments. Her head-dress consisted only of the folds of a thick veil, which she had thrown back while emerging from the chasm—so that her charming face, enframed in the masses of her luxuriant hair, was at once revealed to our hero. In stature she was below the height of the Princess; and her figure was modelled to more slender proportions. She carried a lamp in one hand—while with the other she held back the veil, the ample folds of which would have other- wise floated around her person. The appearance of such a being from such a place seemed to have something preterhuman in it ; and the whole pro- ceeding looked as if magic were at its source. When the process was stone steps,—our hero following. To a consider- able distance was this descent continued, until a vaulted passage was reached, evidently in the very foundations of the mansion. Whither could the Countess be conducting him? what did all this mean? and what would be the issue of the adven- ture? Such were the questions that Charles asked himself, but for the solution of which no surmise afforded any clue. At length the Countess di Milazzo stopped at a door at the end of the stone passage; and at this she knocked in a peculiar manner which instan- taneously reminded Charles of the way in which the guide who had conducted him to the Sparti- vento palace had knocked at the garden gate. This understanding of a certain species of free- masonry which evidently prevailed with regard to secret warnings, signs, and modes of admission, only tended to confirm his suspicion that there was some deep political machination on foot. The door was opened by a young man hand- somely apparelled and of genteel appearance. He bowed slightly but respectfully to the Countess, and stood aside for her to pass. She led on through a little stone vestibule, to an inner door which she opened; and she conducted Charles into a large vaulted apartment, where at the first glance which he now swept around him he beheld thirty or forty persons assembled. They were all of the male sex; and a profound silence reigned amongst them. They were seated on common forms or benches; and at a table in front of the conclave was placed a personage of distinguished appearance, and whom Charles to his amazement recognised to be the Marquis of Ortona, Our Comichboo 269 | S (©) 5}