Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

tentions as she deemed requisite, while Edgar was again displaying signs of resuscitation,—“ tell me Ciprina, what made you come to me in the gallery at that moment ?” “Oh, the explanation is brief and easily given !” replied the young lady. “I beheld in the incident of the purse something more than you thought fit | to avow :—your hand, as I placed that purse in it, was as cold as death. I was uneasy on your ac- count, When the guests had departed, you vo- lunteered no explanations My uneasiness in- creased—until at length it became intolerable. I resolved to seek you in your apartments, and im- plore that in the name of friendship you would entrust me with your secretif anything unpleasant | had occurred. You were not in your rooms—I knew not what to think—your maids had evidently | been dismissed for the night—and you were not there! I was affrighted—I was full of perplexity —when I beheld a billet upon the carpet-——” “Ah !” ejaculated the Marchioness: “ that note ‘ *“Yes—it is here:” and Cipring handed the billet. “Now you comprehend how it was that I found my way to the picture-gallery. But you, Lucrezia,x—Oh! you must have explanations to give me? One part of the revelations you have thus to make, seems to be fathomable by means of conjecture. Yes—methinks I can read that mystery! Tell me, Lucrezia—tell me—did not Edgar Marcellin come to accuse you of the deed witb which you had charged him ?” “Oh, Ciprina! I shudder,’ said the Marchio- ness, with vehemence and bitterness,—* I shudder to the utmost confines of my being when you ad- dress me by my name—when you call me Lucre- zia! Fatal name! horrible association with an inevitable destiny! Good heavens, Ciprina ! is it possible that I have become all which I so dreaded tobe? Tell me, isita dream? or was Lucrezia Borgia verily the prototype in mind as well as in form of Lucrezia Mirano ?” The Marchioness was now terribly excited : her bosom of snowy whiteness was heaving tumultu- ously—there was a wild sinister light in her blue eyes—and with her exquisitely modelled hand she nervously tossed back the tresses of light golden auburn which strayed over her naked shoulders and that bosom which was swelling like the bil- lows of the ocean. “For heaven’s sake, tranquillize yourself !’”’ said Ciprina, “ or the household will become alarmed ! I will ask you no more questions now—indeed I will never more trouble you with any if you will only do my bidding and follow the friendly counsel which i shall give you! See, Lucrezia ! you will not at least have the crime of his death upon your conscience !”—and she pointed to Mar- ecellin. ‘ He lives !—he zill live! hope is strong in my mind !” “ And you answer for him, Ciprina ?” said the Marchioness, in a deep hollow voice; ‘you pledge yourself for my safety? You promise that he shall not stand forth as my accuser ?” “Ob, yes—I promise !” cried Ciprina. now, I beseech you, retire to your chamber “And the blood—the blood, Ciprina, in the gallery ?” said the Marchioness, still speaking in a voice so changed from its natural intonation that no one who heard it without seeing the speaker Ob, yes! the “ But ”? AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. 21 could possibly believe that it was actually the voica of Lucrezia Mirano. * Leave everything to me,’ answered Ciprina. “€ Come, Lucrezia !” * Oh, that name! that horrible name !” ejacu- lated the Marchioness, with a shudder. “ And that portrait !’” she continued, her countenance now as white as a sheet and her eyes glaring with wild horror : “never, Ciprina, can I again look upon that picture! No—jit would drive me mad! There seems to be a horrible fatality in the fact that it ever came into my possession! It must be destroyed—or sent away a “ Leave this likewise to me,” interrupted Ci- prina: “it shall be removed from the gallery to- morrow morning. To this I pledge myself! But even that proceeding must be conducted with dis- cretion —the least circumstance may now en- gender sinister ideas and suspicions * Act as you thiok fit, Ciprina,” said the Mar- | chioness; “ but I conjure you, in mercy, let not | that portrait remain any longer where it can meet | my eyes !” “I have already given you that pledge,” an- | swered Ciprina. ‘“ And now hasten to your own chamber, and leave me to manage everything.” | The Marchioness threw her arms about Ciprina’s neck, sobbing and weeping bitterly. She endea- doured to speak—but she could not: the power of utterance was choked by her emotions. Hastily wiping away her tears, she snatched up a lamp, of ineffable gratitude, and then rushed from the room. So soon as Ciprina found herself alone with the young Frenchman, she bent over him—she pressed her lips to his—she smoothed away the dark clus- tering hair from his brow—and she bathed his forehead. He slowly opened his eyes: joy thrilled through Ciprina’s heart—she looked into their depths to see whether they would recognise her— but alas ! it became only too painfully evident that if was on yacancy he gazed. Then his eyes closed again, and a sigh issued slowly and heavily forth from Ciprina’s lips. She: now prepared to leave her chamber for a few minutes. She first of all examined Edgar’s wound again; and it was with the supremest satisfaction she found that the blood remained fully stanched. She smoothed the pillow on which his head reposed: then she listened to iudge by his breathing whether he suffered pain —and she found that his respiration was regular and apparently facile. Then she took a sponge and some strong essence; and she issued forth from the chamber; but she locked the door be- hind her—and as she secured the key about her person, she murmured to herself, “ With all her display of emotion, that fiend in human shape might take it into her head to steal back hither and complete her hideous work !” Ciprina retraced her way towards the picture. gallery. All continued profoundly silent through. out the mansion; and the numerous domestics who were cradled in the arms of slumber, little suspected what scenes were taking place within those walls. On entering the picture-gallery. Ciprina’s first care was to sponge away the. traces of blood; and this was speedily accomplished by means of the powerful essence which ths ee —_— flung upon Ciprina a look which seemed to be one | 3