Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 314: what you’re looking at

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

Le — and drawing his weapon, he bastened to join tho Princess and the Countess. “ Keep with me, young man!” cried the Mar- quis of Ortona, “We have landed at Leghorn,’ ejaculated Charles; ‘‘and I am my own master! I will protect the signoras.” His concluding words were drowned in the din of musketry; for the conflict was now renewed at close quarters, “This way!” cried Charles to the Princess and the Countess; and taking advantage of their ignorance of military matters, he led them aside from the point-blank range of the Tuscan soldiery. The next moment the two hostile parties joined in deadly strife : the conspirators rushed upon the soidiers with the fury of tigers—while the soldiers themselves were now inspired with an equal ar- dour, for they were bitterly irritated by beholding s0 many of their comrades falling dead at their feet. “* ‘What are tne populace doing ?” inquired the Countess of Milazac with feverish anxiety. “The people stand aloof !”, exclaimed Charles. “Sister,” cried the Princess, “our place is there!” and extending her arm towards the thick- est of the fight, she was on the very point of plunging into it, when our hero caught her by the wrist, “Stop !” he said. ‘‘Let me put the people to the test!”—then springing upon a capstap, he waved his sword, shouting, “ Freedom for Italy ! Live the Republic !” : For a moment there was a visible sensation amongst the people who were drawing near to the scene of strife: but some ono starting up from amidst them, cried, “Be not deceived! Or- tona commands yonder! and we know that he is a Royalist !’ “We will not be deceived!” ejaculated nume- rous voices. All this was the work of a few moments; and Charles De Vere sprang down from the capstan— for several bullets had already whistled about his ears, A glance showed him that the Princess and the Countess were now involved within the scope of the conflict ; and those two ladies were gallantly defending themselves with their swords. “Traitor!” thundered a voice, addressing our hero : “ your hour is come !” It was Columella who spoke; and he madea furious thrust at Charles with his bayonet. ** Villain !” cried our hero, seizing the ghastly gleaming weapon and thrusting it aside, but only just in time to save himself: “would you assassi- nate one of your own party ?? “We disown you !” vociferated Columella: “ you cried for the Republic !” At the same time by a desperate effort he tore away his musket from De Vere’s grasp; and goaded almost to madness by the recollection of the blow he had received from Charles, and by the vindictive spite waoich from that moment he had cherished, he made anether tremendous thrust at our hero’s person, “Ah! if it be so,” ejaculated Charles, “take this!” and striking up the point of the bayo- net with bis arm, he the next instant passed his rid ip completely through the wretched Italian’s ody. a ee ee eee en Cn AGNES; OR, BBAUTY AND PLEASURE. Buf at the same moment Charles was sur- rounded by antagonists: the Austrian soldiers were pressing upon him. It was only by a display of more than Roman valour that our young hero saved himself. He hurled one assailant to the ground—he turned to meet another—and just as the butt-end of a musket was about to strike him down, the gory weapon which he drew forth from Columella’s corpse swept round and smote the right arm of the new assailant, disabling him on the spot. Then through the deadly turmoil Charles cut his way to the spot where the Princoss and the Countess were in the extremest peril. They were on the point of being made prisoners, when Charles rushed betwixt them and their assailants; and he cried to the soldiers, “’I'was I who shouted for the Republic ?” . The men at once lowered their weapons; and then, as if with one accord, they turned and rushed to another part of the scene of battle. It needed but a glance to enable Charles to per- ceive that it was all over with the cause of the conspirators ; and indeed some of them had already begun to retreat to the boats. “ Are you hurt P” he anxiously demanded of the two ladies, as he drew them behind an im- mense crane which stood upon the Mole. They were both panting for breath—with their eyes they thanked him for having rescued them from the soldiery—and they shook their heads to reassure him with regard to the question he had put. A ery of “Fresh troops! fresh troops!” was now suddenly raised : it was a warning which ths people, though otherwise cold and apathetic, were giving to the conspirators. And sure enough! there was a strong reinforcement of Tuscan sol- diers advancing in double quick time to the scene of conflict. “To the boats!” exclaimed the Marquis of Or- tona; and the cry was taken up by most of the subordinate conspirators. “ Ladies,” said Charles hastily, “let me see you in safety to a boat; and then 'y ‘And then what?” demanded the Princess quickly. “And then I bid you both farewell!” “But what will you do ?” asked the Princess. * You will be arrested - “T will endeavour to make my escape amongst that crowd,” responded our hero, “I will not re- join those conspirators !” “Ob, Signor De Vere !”—the ejaculation came from the lips of the Countess di Milazzo ; but she instantaneously stopped short, almost choked with the emotions which rose up as it were into her very throat. “To the boats! to the boats!” cried the con- spirators ; and it was a scene of indescribable con- fusion which now prevailed in that part of the Mole, — the discomfited adventurers defending themselves desperately against the soldiers, who bore down upon them—the reinforcements ra- pidly drawing nigh—the ejaculations of the com- batants mingling with the moans of the wounded and with the piteous cries of those who were being trampled under the feet of the conflicting parties, At this juncture a voice suddenly ejaculated, “Thank God, I have found you !”.-and the band steepest 6) KO) LO SS ey Sn SA eee Neen state arene ome — - : 5}