Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 282: what you’re looking at

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

274 AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, regard to everything the revelation of which might , her left hand, he now perceived that she held a endanger the existence of the Society or the safety | long naked dagger in her right; and as if she had of any of its members. And 1 likewise swear that | divined his intention—or at least had penetrated if at any moment my opinions should change and | the thoughts which had been flashing through his I should repent of the course which I have taken, | brain—she held the weapon in such a position as so that I feel I cannot conscientiously continue to | to prove that she was compietely on her guard. be a member of the Society and an advocate Of| . “ You must not be offended, Signor De Vere,” its objects, I will give due notice to the president | Bhe said, with that calm self-possession mingled of the section to which I may belong, or to the | with modest affability, which seemed to be habitual chief authority in the district where I may be re-| to her: “ but these are times and circumstances siding ; and I will hold myself bound to submit | which render it important that those who embark to whatsoever may be ordained or decreed accord- | in daring or desperate enterprises should be fully ing to the circumstances in which I shall thus be} on their guard. You cannot therefore wonder placed. And if I should violate any of these | that I should take precautions. I believe you are solemn obligations, i herevy deciare that I shall hold | too courteous,” she continued, with a smile, “ to myself as paving become guilty of the highest | attempt to ill-treat a lady: but if it should happen crime which it is possible for man to commit; and | to be otherwise, and you should by any possibility that therefore my life will be the righteous forfeit, | take it into your head to make a sudden attack mid whosoever shall take it will only be suitably | upon me, you sce that I am quite prepared to and properly avenging the outrage offered to this| meet it. Not all your strength would avail patriotic brotherhood.” j against a thrust from this poniard, the point of “T cannot take that oath,” said Charles, after | which is sharp asa needle! But this is not all. having carefully read the formula. “TI will tell | Look !” you frankly why I ere now hesitated, and why I| The Countess gave a slight cough, but in a asked to be made acquainted with the nature of | peculiar manner; and a door instantaneously the oath whereby every member is bound. It was| opened opposite the one which she had previously because I thought that the terms of that oath | opened, and on the threshold of which they were would possibly permit me to accompany you on | both standing. Then from some obscure place your intended expedition to Leghorn—but that | four men, atmied with drawn swords, and having when once we Janded upon the Tuscan shore [| pistols in their belts, stepped forward. They might raise a cry to the effect that we came to give | apoke not a word: but their looks for a moment such complete freedom to the Ttalians As to es- | Hashed fiercely on Charles; and then they were tablish the sovereignty of the people. But I see | bent inquiringly upon the Countess di Milazzo, as that the oath binds the members of the Society to | if in readiness to obey the slightest signal she specific objects; and it would be only an equivo-| might make. She waved her hand slightly ; and cation on my part to take that oath with the| they instantareously disappeared, the door closing ulterior purpose which I have just avowed.” upon them—while the Countess bent a half smile “You are at least frank and candid, Signor De | of significance upon our hero,—a smile which dis- Vere,” said the Marquis of Ortona. “It is a pity | played her beautiful teeth, though it was with no that one whose principles are so lofty and whose | studied coquetry on her part. motives of honour are so delicate, cannot be won| ‘‘ Now will you have the kindness to pass on P” over to the cause which we espouse.” she said : and the dagger was immediately hidden “My lord,” said Father Falconara, rising from | beneath the folds of her garments. his seat, “I beg to propose that the prisoner—for| Every fresh circumstance tended to show in such a light must we consider Signor De Vere | Charles how completely he was in the power of —be ordered to withdraw, while we discuss the; the conspirators, and how ramified were all the painful circumstance which has thus arisen.” precautions which they took for the ensurance of “Be it so,’ observed the Marquis, readily | their own safety as well as the secrecy of their adopting the priest’s proposition ; for in his heart | proceedings in the subterraneans of the Sparti- he was as anxious as Father Falconara himself to | vento palace. He therefore perceived how abso- find some pretext for sparing the life of De Vero, | jutely useless it would be for him to refuse any ‘** Come with me,” said the Countess di Milazzo: | mandate which might be given, and which might and she conducted Charles out of that large|be so easily enforced upon him. Hoe however vaulted apartment where the conclave was assem: | turned again towards the Countess, saying, “ Your bled. ladyship has complimented me by expressing tho Traversing the little vestibule, they continued | belief that courtesy would prevent me from in- their way along the passage leading towards the | juring a lady ; and I cannot now do better than stairs : but the Countess stopping short, opened a | in the spirit of reciprocity express my conviction door on the right hand, and which our hero had | that a lady of your rank and principles will not not noticed when previously passing that way. now deal treacherously with me.” “Be so good as to enter first,” said the Countess.| |“ No—I am incapable of treachery,” answered All in a moment Charles asked himself, “ Why | the Countess di Milazzo, with frankness and fer- should I not overpower this woman, stifle her|vour. ‘ Whatever may happen to you will be the cries with a gag, and make my escape? Need I | result of a calm deliberation on the part of the stand upon punctilios towards one who is leagued | conclave, and will be duly imparted.” with a set of desperadoes who have just been{| Charles bowed an acknowledgment of the as. menacing me with death P” surance ; and he entered the place with which the He turned his eyes upon the Countess: but all: dcor communicated: but it was so completely in a moment the colour mantled upon his cheeks; | involyed in obscurity that he had been unable to for by the light of the lamp which she carried in| observe whether it were a passage, or a room, ora rm ee me me ee ee eee nen aes aoa ee nr ne ee Comicbooks (©) 3