Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 31: what you’re looking at

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

SS Se AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. was now three o'clock in the morning; but being in that declining season of the year—the end of October—it was still dark. No moon nor stars shone upon the canopy of heaven; and at that hour there was a chilliness which ‘made Ciprina shudder, even beneath the thick and ample cover- ing of the cloak. She hastily skirted one of the sides of the house; and she reached a small door, or rather gate, set in one of the boundary walls. This one likewise opened by means of the pass- key; and she emerged into one of the streets in the neighbourhood of the Mirano mansion. CHAPTER V. LA DOLFINA. Ciprina pursued her way at a rapid rate: sho passed into another street, and quickly reached the house in which she knew that La Dolfina dwelt. This house was a small one, and was situated be- tween two habitations of much larger dimensions as well as of an infinitely superior appearance. As Ciprina glanced up at the particular abode which she sought, she was rejoiced to behold a light glimmering through the window on the sevond floor ; for she thought to herself that there might possibly be some one up in the house, and that it would not therefore be difficult to obtain the de- sired interview with La Dolfina. The young lady lost not a moment in pulling the iron chain which hung at the door-post, and which communicated with a bell inside. No sound of that bell reached her ear: it evidently was not immediately within any passage or vestibule into which the front door might open; and therefore the thought flashed to Ciprina’s mind that it most probably rang in the room of La Dolfina herself. Not many moments was she kept waiting; for the door was opened by an elderly female who had evidently just risen from her couch for the pur- pose—for she had only flung on some loose upper garment, and had thrust her naked scragey feet into slippers. She was about fifty years of age, short and insignificant in stature—shrivelled and dried up, with a mummy-like aspect, and with grizzly locks forming a sort of fringe to a gaudy parti-coloured silk kerchief which was bound about her head. So thin she was that the front of her dress being open, every bone on her scraggy breast could be counted, and the skin upon those bones looked like shrivelling parchment. Her profile was largely and conspicuously aquiline: indeed she had a nose which projected far beyond the dimensions consistent with such a face; so that it seemed as if the beak of an immense eagie had been stuck on to the middle of that countenance. Her chin was proportionately pro- minent: but there was no particular sinking of the mouth—for she had a perfect set of teeth, and these, which were singularly well preserved for a person of her age, gleamed in an almost ghastly whiteness in contrast with the swarthiness of her complexion and by the light of the candle which she carried in her hand. Her eyes were not particularly large; but they were keenly piercing and of extraordinary lustre. It seemed as if she were intent upon fathoming the pur- 23 poses of Ciprina’s soul the very instant the young lady crossed the threshold and threw back the hood of her mantle sufficiently to reveal hor own countenance, Yes—that woman was La Dolfina, as Ciprina at once knew, for she had heard some descriptive details concerning her. No sooner was the door opened than the young lady stepped across the threshold, as we have already hinted; and La Dolfina, having bent upon her that glance of keenness for a few moments, led the way up a narrow staircase, the steps of which were neither carpeted nor polished, and the balustrade, by its massiveness as well as by its worm-caten appear- ance, displayed its antiquity. La Dolfina halted on reaching the first-floor ; and opening a door, sho made a sign for Ciprina to proceed in advance. By the manner in which La Dolfina held the candle, it threw scarcely any light into the in- terior of that room—only just a sufficient gleam- ing to afford a glimpse of some object the dim ontline of which appeared to Ciprina’s vision to take a skeleton-shape. It was now for the first time that a sense of terror smote the young lady who had hitherto shown so much presence of mind throughout all the circumstances of this memo- rable night ; and she hesitated to cross the threshold of that apartment in the obscure depths of which unknown horrors appeared to be lurk- ing. ‘Proceed, signora,’ said La Dolfina, now breaking the silence which she had hitherto main- tained—and there was something alike solemn and commanding, grave and imperious, in the tone of her voice. “ Do you tremble? are you afraid? If so, wherefore did you seek me? Doubtless you came to demand my succour in some strait or difficulty; else why this visit at such an hour P” “T know that if is unseasonable,” responded Ciprina; “and I ought to have commenced by offering my excuses ee “Not so, senora,” rejoined La Dolfina: “for no hour is held unseasonablo by me. By day I am always at my post: by night the taper con- stantly burns in my chamber’ and she pointed upwards to the room overhead,—* where likewise hangs that mouth with the iron tongue which speaks when the chain at the door is touched.” Ciprina comprehended that by means of this last circumlocutory phraseology the wise-woman was alluding to the bell; and she could searcely suppress a smile at the evident empirical savour which the language bore. The effect was salutary upon her nerves: her courage immediately re- vived—and fearlessly she now crossed the threshold of the apartment. But scarcely had her feot en- tered that room, when she suddenly stopped short, appalled and dismayed—while a shriek rose to the very brim of her lips; but by a strong effort she kept it back. But no wonder that she should have been smitten with terror! aye, and horror and consternation likewise ;—for right before her, at the extremity of the apartment appeared a ghastly skeleton,—the hideous atomy appearing actually to be advancing towards her in propor- tion as La Dolfina suffered the beams of the candle to penetrate farther and farther into that room. Ciprina quickly recovered her presence of mind ; for she now felt well assured that the presence of ee a Ghoo S A (©) 5}