Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 330: what you’re looking at

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

3z2 AGNES’ OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. and balm ovor the battle-field for the wounded patriots wes it not thus that you spoke?” ““Your Highness evidently recollects well the very words that came from my lips,” replied the woman, with the most provoking coolness. ‘ You had better finish.” ‘IT will do so,” continued Bianca, “and you will tell me whether Iam right. You said—you said —that if you bad cordial and balm for the wounded Italiane, you had deadly poison for the Austrian enermies—and you vowed that you would go oyer the battle-field, and that wherever you beheld an Imperial soldier in whom the spark of life yet lingered, you would make his death sure.” “Yes, signora—it was thus that I spoke,” said the woman. “ And then what followed ?” “What followed P” repeated the Princess inquir- ingly. “Aye — what followed? Does your memory now fail you? I will refresh it. Your Highness levelled at me the bitterest reproaches—called me murderess—likened me to the jackal that preys upon the dead—execrated me as a wretch that fought with unfair weapons! I went away, while pitying and laughing at you! But you have not forgotten all this! No! for it was the recollection thereof that made you ere now recoil shudderingly from me at the moment of recognition! Yet strange! the woman whom you despised on the battle-ground, has now come to answer your invo- cation! Speak, lady! How can I serye you? what do you require of Satan’s agent ?”—and the woman burst out into a horrible laugh, “How came you here?” demanded the Princess, experiencing a cold shudder at the sound of that sardonic laughter. “T need have no secrets from your Highness; for we are mutually in each other’s power.” “ Ah!”—and Bianca started visibly. “Yes! isit not so? AmI not aware that you are the Princess of Spartiyento—that your sister the Countess of Milazzo is with you—and that together with the new Count of Camerino, you escaped from the conflict at Leghorn? This morn- ing, when you and your sister were alone together for a few minutes in this very room, you said suffi- cient to make me aware of all the circumstances whereby you are surrounded.” “‘ And the other persons beneath this roof? the servants of the household?’ said the Princess, be- coming frightened. “They know nothing—they are even ignorant of the existence of this secret passage:” and the dame pointed towards the looking-glass door. “Thus your Highness perceives that I know every- thing: but I do not wish to injure you—nor your sister—nor the young Count. On the contrary, we may render mutual services——” “But you said that we should also be in each other’s power ?” interjected the Princess. ** Well,” resumed the woman, “ and that will be the case when I come to reveal, as perforce I must, who Iam: for though ycu saw me on the battle- field Vs “IT know not your name. who are you P” “Perhaps you will start when I answer your questions, But no matter! I am La Dol- fina ” “Ah!” ejaculated the Princess; “ you are the What isit? And woman who was in some way or another mixed up witb the Marchioness di Mirano at Florence ?” “ And now you know, Princess,” interjected La Dolfina, “that in obeying your invocation I have the power to farther your designs.” You are proscribed—a reward is offered for your apprehension—is it not so P” “Yes. Immediately after the explosion of the affair in reference to the Marchioness, the new Minister of Police who succeeded Count Ramorino, set a price upon my head.” * And how came you to be concealed here ?” de- manded the Princess. “From what your Highness previously knew of me in reference to the battle-field of Novara,” replied La Dolina, “you can have little trouble in conjecturing that I belong to one of the Secret Societies. Some yearsazo—no matter under what circumstances—it is now too long a tale to tell—I became the bearer of certain important despatches for the Count of Camerino. It was on that occa- sion I was initiated into the existence of the secret passages and stairvases within the walls of this mansion; for a conclave of patriots was wont to assemble here,” “Proceed,” said the Princess, whose memory reverted at the moment to the subterraneans cf her own palace at Turin. “You have told me how you learnt the existence of these secret places some years ago: but you hare not told me how it is that I now find you an inmate of them.” “Exactly one month ago I was compelled to flee from Florence. On the road I was stopped and plundered of everything that I possessed ; so that allin a moment I was reduced from comparative affluence to a state of complete destitution. IL crawled along as well as my feeble limbs would allow me, until at the expiration of a few days I iearnt the result of the Marchioness di Mirano’s affair in Florence, and how [ myself was proscribed by the new Minister of Police. Then I determined to come hither re “You would scarcely have expected,” interrupted the Princess, “ that the late Count of Camerino, on discovering your*real character, would have been very ready to succour you?” : “T scarcely know what I thought, or what I calculated,” rejoined the woman, “beyond the hope of escaping arrest. Perhaps I might have fancied that I knew too many of the Count of Camerino’s secrets to render it safe for him to re- fuse me an asylum. However, I came hither—I concealed myself in the subterranean—and after a little time I learnt, by a conversation which IL overheard between some of the servants, that the poor Count was dead. I have remained here until now.” “ And how have you subsisted?” inquired the Princess, “ Occasionally emerging from my place of con- cealment, by means of that secret door ”—and she pointed towards the looking-glass—‘ I have paia a visit to the larder. A very little food has sufficed for me; and as there was a numerous establish- ment of servants, there was always a sufficienay of provender to enable me to take as much as I re- quired without standing the chance of exciting the suspicion of the stealthy visits which were thus paid tc that place.” Comichboo —— Oe oe 5}