Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 309: what you’re looking at

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

i Ee A AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, enabled me to accomplish the business thus speedily. I received your lordship’s letter which you sent me from Florence = “Well, well,” interjected the Marquis somewhat impatiently: “and you 8 At this juncture Charles De Vere rose from his seat, and advanced towards the window of the apartment in which he found himself. He did not wish to play the part of eavesdropper in respect to the discourse which was taking place between the Marquis and Signor Palmas. The partition bo- tween the two rooms was a very slight one; and hence the facility with which whatsoever was said in one could be overheard in the other. By mov- ing to the window, our hero lost a part of the dis- course betwixt Ortona and his newly-arrived friend; and then for some little time also these two personages conversed in a much lower tone than that in which they first began speaking. The window looked upon the court-yard; and Charles, observing nothing there to interest him, was about to have recourse again to the volume of poems, when he was startled by an exclamation in the ad- joining room. “This is truly wonderfal!” cried the Marquis of Ortona: “it is almost incredible !” Then Palmas said something, which the ears of Charles did not cetcb. “For the present therefore,” proceeded the Marquis, “‘ we will say nothing to him on the sub- ject. But never was anything more marvellous! By heaven, it is a perfect romance!” Again was there some remark from the lips of Palmas, inaudible to our hero. “You yourself can go thither,” resumed the Marquis of Ortona: “ you can give the informa- tion Indeed you can prepare the people of the piace ” here the nobleman’s voice sank so that Charles caught not the next portion of the sen- tence: but he heard him conclude by saying, “ And I hope, if all things go well, to accompany him thither myself.” “Then I shall expect your lordship; and but here the voice of Palmas became inaudible to Charles. The Marquis said something in reply ; and then again burst forth into the exclamation of “ It is marvellous! Who could possibly have thought it? Did it not astonish you P” “ Naturally, my lord,” responded Palmas. “To tell the trutb, 1 never was more amazed in all my life—and I could scarcely believe my own eyes.” The Marquis then said something, of which all that Charles could catch were the words, “‘inten- tions honourably carried out” instructions obeyed to the very letter.” There was again an interval of discourse carried on in a very low tone betwixt the Marquis and his friend; and then the latter took his leave. Charles De Vere wondered to what subject the particulars of that interview could allude, and what matter could have transpired to elicit such vehement ejaculations of surprise and astonish- ment from the lips of the Marquis. He could not conceal from himself that his curiosity had become excited after he had risen from the chair and ap- proached the window; and that contrary to his original design, he had actually become a listener. He was angry with himself for the circumstance: but etill he again felt more or less curious in re- 93 i eee 301 ference to a subject which could have excited so much astonishment on the part of both Ortona and Palmas. “My visitor has gone,” said the Marquis, now opening the door of communication between the two rooms and beckoning Charles to rejoin him. He said not a syllable in reference to the pur- port of that individual’s visit; and he evidently did not suspect that Charles had overheard a syllable of the discourse that had passed. Presently Raguso and Columella returned, bringing numerous letters, which the Marquis of Ortona read with the utmost attention, destroying some as soon as they were perused, and making memoranda on the backs of the others. The two Italians whom we have just named, together with Voitura and Spezzi, acted as the aides-de-camp and messengers of the Marquis, keeping up the re- quisite communications between head-quarters and the other houses in Genoa amongst which the remainder of the conspirators were distributed. Thus the hours passed away; and we may add that the time hung heavily enough upon the hands of our hero—for he could not settle his mind to reading; and as the Marquis did not leave the mansion during the day, Charles had no opportunity of obtaining a view of the principal streets or buildings of Genoa. Dinner was served in the afternoon at about four o’clock; and at six the company began to disperse in pairs, ostensibly for the purpose of lounging out to visit the cafés or billiard-tables, but in reality to seek the port and embark on board the vessel which the con- spirators had bought for that purpose. “Now, my young friend,” said the Marquis of Ortona, when he and our hero were left alone to- gether, “ we will light our cigars and refresh our- selves with a walk after MRaguso’s excellent wine.” This was said in the presence of a domestic; and the Marquis went forth from the house with our hero. Arm-in-arm they proceeded through the streets: they reached the quay of the noble harbour of Genoa, while the dusk was closing rapidly in: they entered a boat which was waiting at a particular spot ; and the watermen, who had evidently received their instructions, rowed to- wards a vessel which lay at a little distance, CHAPTER LUIKII. THE EXPEDITION. Ovg hero was now on board the ship which had been fitted for the revolutionary expedition. Signor Raguso was a wealthy merchant; the vessel had been bought in his name—the arms and ammunition had been sent off from his warehouse, under the semblance of bales of goods—and thus nothing had transpired to excite the suspicion of the local authorities. The conspirators, about sixty in number, had embarked from different points, a few ata time; and, in a word, every precaution had been taken to throw a veil over the proceedings. The Marquis and Charles were amongst the last for whom the ship had waited ; and very soon after they set foot upon the deck COMmiclboOoks.c© inn