Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

23 young lady had brought with her. Besides, the wound had poured forth but little blood upon the floor, for the greater portion of the sanguine tide had been absorbed by the cambric forming the bosom of the shirt. And now Ciprina proceeded towards the screen, which, as the reader will re- member, had in the first instance served as Edgar's hiding-place in the picture-gallery; and behind a chair in the neighbourhood of that screen Ciprina picked up a pistol and a bundle of rai- ment, These were the objects which her eye had AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. and all perhaps for want of some potion or un-« guent which a skill superior to her own must supply. But what was to bedone? She could not sum- mon the regular medical attendant of the man- sion ; for this would be to create at once the ne- cessity of giving an account of how the patient re- ceived his wound. To have recourse to any stranger surgeon, would be attended with the same inconvenience. Yet something must be done! The longer she reflected upon it, the more encountered when she possessed herself of the | did Ciprina mistrust the efficacy of her own dagger, and on which she was unable at the time | simple ministrations ; and she thought within her- to bestow aught more than a passing notice. | self that it would be little less than murder to Taking the pistol and the bundle with her, Ciprina returned to her own chamber, where she found the patient still plunged in a deep lethargic slumber. She proceeded to unroll the packet of garments which she had brought with her from the picture- gallery: and she perceived that it was a complete male costume. While she was contemplating it— wondering whether it could belong to Edgar Marcellin, and if so, why he should have brought it thither—the idea gradually stole into her mind that the suit was too small for him. She searched in the pockets—but ske found nothing? To whom could the garments belong? and why should they have been deposited in the picture-gallery? These were the questions which Ciprina asked herself, but to which she could not find an answer by any means of conjecture. She now regretted that she should not have made a more complete search in the picture-gallery: for who could tell bat that there might be other articles mysteriously con- | cesled there P—and everything to Ciprina’s mind | profession, mixed with a great deal of imposture, was now fraught with more or less significancy in reference to the transactions which were develop- ing themselves. She returned to the gallery, taking good care, as before, to lock the door of her chamber, for fear lest the Marcbioness might take it into her head to penetrate thither. On entering the picture-gallery, Ciprina looked everywhere about; and presently she discovered Edgar’s hat and cloak, which were concealed be- hind the screen. Perceiving naught else to at- tract her attention, she took the hat and cloak to her chamber ; and then she proceeded to examine ence more the wound which Edgar Marcellin had received, The blood had been effectually stanched; and Ciprina was hugging the hope that everything would go well, when an idea eud- denly struck her. Might not some medicine be absolutely necessary P—some stimulant, perhaps, to enable the sleeper to cast off his lethargy P or some sedative in case feverish symptoms should develop themselves? Or again, might not the wound itself require the application of some heal- ing balsam? These questions naturally sug- gested themselves the moment Ciprina had some littie leisure for reflection; and they excited grave considerations in her mind. A human life was at stake; and delicate as well as unwearied though her attentions might be, yet would they prove sufficient to rescue the patient from the jaws of death? Was it not a case in which at least some reference must be had to the medical art? Yes —Ciprina speedily came to the conviction that it was ec! might arise—gangrene and mortification ensue,— :_——_- LL rn = re allow a fellow-creature to perish for want of the aid which medical science could now alone supply. While she was revolving all these matters in her mind, she bethought herself of a certain wo- man of whom she had more than once heard men- tion made, and who was reputed to exercise the professions of fortune-teller, female-physician, ac- coucheuse or midwife, compounder of love-charms and philters, vender of amulets, and so forth. She was known as La Dolfina. She was exten- sively patronised by persons of all classes and by both sexes, though her clients were chiefly females. Doubtless she had powerful protectors—or else she would not have been permitted to carry on her multiform avocations without receiving the slightest molestation from Count Ramorino and his policeemyrmidons. In many Continental cities characters of this description may be found,— some smattering of surgical knowledge serving as the groundwork for the varied nature of their 'and with other necessary ingredients, such as shrewdness, hardihood, cleverness, and audacity. One of these characters was La Dolfina; and it was the name of this woman which now crossed the recollection of Ciprina in her emergency. La Dolfina lived in an adjacent street. Ciprina calculated that she need not be altogether more than half-an-hour absent, provided that her sum- inons at the wise-woman’s house should be speedily answered and her requirement promptly attended to. Half-an-hour!—eould she leave Edgar Mar- cellin for this period? What if the wound should open in her absence? he might bleed to death ! But on the other nand, for want of a balsam or a potion his death might be even still more certain! Ciprina therefore resolved to leava him aé all risks, and seek the abode of La Dolfina. The mansion of the Marchioness di Mirano was in its arrangements well adapted for the gallan- tries and intrigues carried on by its mistress; and from the very first moment that Ciprina set foot within its walls, she was rendered acquainted with those local facilities in order that she might avail herself of them at her pleasure. Thus she had no sooner made up her mind to the course which we have named, than she saw likewise how to carry her design into execution. She enveloped herself in an ample cloak: she made every possible ar- rangement on behalf of Edgar Marcellin during her absence ; and on issuing forth from her cham- ber, she locked the door, taking good care to secure the key about her person. She descended Fever might superyene—inflammation | theprivate staircase; and by means of a pass-key sheopened the door leading into the grounds. It (©) a ee (C@) 5} chook