Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 286: what you’re looking at

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

| | : | | | | | 278 AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. of your honour and integrity, of your excellent will be in any way outraged,” answered the Prin- principles and high-mindedness, I need’ not say | cess. that I hope you will respect that oath as devoutly | She led him forth from the apartment : they as if it were sworn with your hands placed upon | descended the staircase, and reached the little ves- the breasts of the veritable corpses of the ceceased | tibule which Charles had first entered on his ar- patriots!” rival at the palace. ‘* Whatever I have undertaken to perform, shall| ‘You are about to see the police-agent,” said be accomplished!” said De Vere. “Life is sweet, | the Princess ; ‘and you may truthfully inform him my lord; and in order to save mine I have ac- | that your visit to me this evening has delayed your cepted the conditions which you had the power | departure, but that you are fully determined to set off at midnight—for which purpose you empower to impose.” “And you have acted wisely,” said the Mar- | him to e a postchaise to come and take you up here. Your luggage can be sent from the quis. “T know,” rejoined Charles, with a look expres- | hotel; and my steward shall call there in the morn- sive of fervid gratitude, “that to your lordship |ing to defray the expenses you may have con- and Father Falconara I am indebted for my | tracted 4 life a | Charles now bitterly repented that he had taken * Aye—and to the Countess di Milazzo also,” | the oath; and he could not avoid a gesture and an said the Marquis emphatically. | expression of vexation. The Princess flung upon A slight blush crossed the beautiful countenance | him a glance of inquiry. of the Italian lady: but instantaneously regaining # “I have acted foolishly, siznora!” he said; her self-possession, she said in her usual composed, | “and your Highness’s sister has played her part placid manner, “Come with me, Signor De Vere. | with a policy which has successfully outwitted T am about to put you to the test. You are to! me.” obey the orders of your superiors; and the Mar-| ‘“ What mean you?” inquired the Princess. quis of Ortona will now tell you that you areto| “I mean,” responded Charles, with bitterness receive these orders from my lips.” in his accents, “that the visit of this police-agent * Assuredly so,” said the Marquis. to your palace to inquire for me, might have Charles bowed an acknowledgment of the autho- | been the means of my safety and rescue—and I rity; and he followed the Countess from the cham- ought to have availed myself of the incident. I ber where the waxen effigies lay. She led him | have played my cards badly !” : along the passage: they reached the staircase—, “I hesitate not to confess,” said the Princess, the Countess grasped the handle attached to the | “that the visit of this agent might have been wheel fixed against the wall of masonry—and as} most embarrassing for us.” she turned that wheel, the moveable part of the! “Yes!” exclaimed our hero; “for he would floor was seen to open overhead. They ascended; | have insisted upon seeing me—he would have and once more was he in the apartment lighted | taken no excuse—you must have produced me— by the lamp fed with perfumed oil. /and then I could have at once claimed his protec- “You will remain here for a few minutes—will | tion!” you not?” said the Countess, with an amiable| “You need not be angry with yourself,” said smile. |the Princess calmly: “for you could not have Charles bowed an assent ; and the lady left the | acted more prudently than you have done. No apartment. Our hero might now escape if he/ doubt the incident was embarrassing; but you thought fit:—he had nothing to do but to open | are wrong to think that we should have produced that door and join the crowd of guests, amongst | you. No!—we would rather have incurred any whom he might find some whose aid he could in- risk than have placed ourselves so completely in voke to save him from recapture by any of the your power. MRepine not at the course you have desperado band: cr he might escape by the win- | adopted; for you have assuredly saved your life dow. But no!—he dared do nothing of all this: | thereby.” the oath which he had taken withheld him—and| The Princess of Spartivento spoke with a calm he was too honourable to violate it! confidence blended with a gracious condescension ; In a few minutes the door opened, and the two | and her voice was full of a golden harmony. We sisters made their appearance. The Countess di| have already eaid that she wae of a grand and Milazzo at once descended into the subterranean, | striking beauty; her age was only twenty-six; the moveable part of the floor closing over her | and it must have been difficult for any young man head ; while the Princess di Spartivento said, with | to gaze upon her without tender emotion. Equally an air of mingled condescension and affability, | difficult were it for an admirer of the fair sex to ‘Be so kind as to give me your arm.” contemplate her sister the Countess without a Charles at once complied with this request, and | sense of fascination. But Charles De Vere was the Princess, leaning lightly on his arm, said, | passing through the ordeal without the slightest “My sister is compelled to rejoin the conclave | infidelity to the image of his beloved Agnes. Ié below ; but she has informed me exactly how mat- | should however be mentioned that the looks of the ters stand—and therefore instead of taking your| Princess of Spartivento were as replete with instructions from her lips, you will be so good as | modesty as those of her sister had been. to receive them from mine.” “Now,” said the Princess, when that little col- “Provided that they are consistent with the con- | loquy in the vestibule was ended, “ we will repair ditions of the compact,” replied our hero ; “ and | to the room where the police-agent is waiting your that they enjoin the performance of nothing repug- | appearance.” nent to my feelings,” She opened the door: they proceeded slong a “Fear not that your opinions or sentiments | passage which led into the great hall of the man- . ee ee = + —_ a —EE —+- eee «eee a ——— ih —_ - ~. - -- te = eee —_—_-- Comichook