Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 285: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. 277 ee RR LS Se TRE A TSM ET TTT RTT 9. a ug conjure you to give me a favourable answer ; for it has only been by straining many a point of our laws in your behalf, that the Marquis of Ortona and Father Falconara have been enabled to obtain the assent of the conclave to such conditions. If you refuse them yes, if you refuse them, Sig- nor De Vere,” added the Countess, with some de- gree of emotion in her voice, “ your doom is in- evitable !” “Am I to understand,” demended our hero, “that I shall be kept a prisoner until the expedi- tion sets off ?” “Tt will set off this very night,” replied the Countess. ‘“ You will proceed straight to Genoa ; and thence you will at once sail for Leghorn.” *‘ May I write letters to some friends, to make them easy in reference to my absence and dis- appearance ?” * You can write letters on condition that their contents be perused—not from any miserable ” purpose of curiosity—but as a guarantee **Good heavens!” cried Charles indignantly ; “how desperate must be the hopes and fortunes of your cause, that whichever way you turn you are compelled to suspect treachery and take all the guarantees which are suggested by the deepest mistrust!” “Tt is so with all conspiracies and all conspira- tors,” said the Countess di Milazzo, in a cold tone, and with a corresponding look. “TI will write no letters,” said Charles. ‘“ Rather would I leave my friends and relations to the tortures of suspense, than submit myself to the indignity of such a surveillance in respect to cor- respondence. But it is thoroughly agreed that the moment I set foot on the shore of Leghorn I may raise the cry of entire freedom for the Italian people ?—and if it be not responded to, I may throw down my sword and refuse to fight on be- half of the cause which you espouse? Nay, more —I may to the best of my ability effect my escape, and all connexion between myself and your secret society shall be considered to be at anend? Is it so P” ‘This is the bargain,” answered the Countess. Charles reflected for a few moments. There, on the one hand, was the threat of death on the part of those desperadoes: and there, on the other, was a compromise by means of which he might ensure his eventual safety. He decided upon accepting the latter; and he now signified his intention to the Countess di Milazzo. “ Welcome, welcome amongst us!” she exclaimed, her beautiful countenance flushing with enthu- siasm; and she grasped our hero’s hand as she spoke. 2 . CHAPTER XLVIII. UP-STAIRS AGAIN. Once more did the Countess bid Charles De Vere await her return for a few minutes; and again was he consigned to the place which we may de- nominate the guard-room.. But in a little while tae beautiful and energetic heroine reappeared ; and now she conducted him into the vaulted chamber where the two waxen efligies lay. Charles found the Marquis of Ortona and Father Falconara there; and they both pressed his hands with a warmth and an eagerness which showed how delighted they were at being enabled to con- gratulate him on having saved his life. ‘‘T am about to administer an oath,” said tho Marquis, “‘ which you cannot object to take, inas- much as it is perfectly consistent with the terms already explained vy the Countess di Milazzo.” The Countess had quitted the chamber for a moment: but she now returned, accompanied by two of the members of the secret conclave; and they held drawn swords crossed over our hero’s head while the Marquis dictated the following oath :— “T swear by everything sacred in heaven and on earth, and by all my hopes of future happiness, that from the present moment until my foot shall rest upon the Tuscan ehore at Leghorn, I will do naught to molest, frustrate, or controvert the pur- poses of the Secret Society for the Regeneration of Italy, and that in all things I will obey the supe- riors of the contemplated expedition so long as they command me to undertake nothing inimical to the conditions of the compact whereon this oath is based. I furthermore swear that I will not attempt to quit the ranks of the brotherhood, nor by my own will sever myself from them, until my arrival at Leghorn—or unless a severance be produced by forcible and irresistible circumstances. I swear to maintain secrecy in respect to the pro- ceedings so long as secrecy may be needful tc the interests of the cause itself or to the safety of the members embarked init. And in case of the vio- lation of this oath, or of any of its parts, [ hold that my life will become righteously forfeit; and that any members of this Society will be justified in inflicting capital punishment upon me, so that it will not be a murder that is thus perpetrated, but a proper retribution that will have been ac- complished.” While the Marquis of Ortona was reading the formula of this oath, which had been committed to paper, Charles found that his attention was gradually being drawn towards the countenance of one of the men who held the drawn swords over his head. It occurred to him that he had seen this man’s face before. He looked again, without seeming to be thus paying any particular regard to the individual: stronger in his mind grew the conviction that the countenance was known to him; but where he had before seen it, he could not recollect. There was something in the gaze of the man himself which seemed to cores roborate the idea that they were no strangers to each other: but fruitlessly did Charles rack his brain to recall to mind where it was that they had before met. The oath having been read over to him, he saw nothing in the formula from which he felt himself justified in dissenting : he therefore repeated it,— saying at the end, “ All this I swear to observe, as I hope for salvation for my soul!” “ Amen !” said Sather Falconara. The two men with the drawn swords retired ; and the Marquis of Ortona at once said to Do Vere, “ You have taken an oath of the most solemn character, in the presence of these repre- sentations of the two great patriots who died for the cause of Italian freedom. To a young gentleman choo — 5}