Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 331: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, SS 323 “And now, doubtless you are anxious to get away P” said the Princess, “Yes: I cannot for ever live in that horrible solitude,” answered La Dolfina. “If your Highness wil] promise to furnish me with a disguise as well as with a little gold, I will in return render you whatsoever service I may be enabled to perform. You spoke of revenge—you said revenge first and perhaps love afterwards! Tell me how I can aid you? Will you have a subtle poison wherewith to wreak your revenge P—will you have a love-philtre, that the individual to whom your heart yearns may be made to love you in return P” 7 “Try not your jargon concerning love-philtres with me!” interrupted the Princess. “I am not to be deluded by such idle trickery. But the poison! Ah, that is another thing!—and to your proposal on this score I say yes, Give me’ the poison—and I will furnish you with gold, and also a*safe dis- guise, to enable you to depart hence.” Tt shall be a compact,” said La Dolfina. “ Do you want a poison to kill outright—or one that shall operate gradually, so that it may seem as if the patient were sinking under some malady P” “Let it kill outright,” interrupted the Princess, “provided that it leave no trace behind, and if you can guarantee that not even the most skilful phy- gsician could detect the cause of death.” “Think you, Princess, that I am so ill-practised in the art,” asked La Dolfina, “that I cannot present such guarantees as those which you re- quire? Your intended victim shall be stricken down after imbibing the poison I will give you; end the physician who may be called in, will pro- nounce it apoplexy. But I have not all the requi- site materials for compounding the drug. I can steal forth at night and procure from the garden certain roots which I need; but there is one which only can be purchased at a chemist’s or a herbalist’s —and I dare not venture into the adjacent town for the purpose.” “Could I myself procure it ?” inquired the Princess, “‘ without exciting suspicion? I mean, tliat after some one shall have died suddenly, would it be likely to occur to the chemist cf whom I may make the purchase, that: the article thus bought may have been connected with the catas- trophe P” “Your Highness will incur no danger on this score ; for the article itself only becomes so deadly in its effect when it is in combination with the other ingredients that I shall use.” The Princess reflected for a few moments; and then she said, “I will procure the drug. Tell mo its name.” La Dolfina answered the question; and the Princess went on to say, “It is scarcely possible that I can to-day make any excuse for visiting the adjacent town. But to-morrow it may be different.” “Take your own time, Princess. I will show you the secret of opening this looking-glass door, so that your Highness can come to me; or else to-morrow night, when everything shall be quiet throughout the mansion, I can come to you.” The horrible woman—more hideous in disposi- tion than even she was in person—showed the Princess the secret to which she had alluded ; and she then quitted the apartment, retiring by way of the looking-glass door, and leaving the Princess eres? Se ey ee en ere ew ee 8 OY ee ee Se ‘Ambassador at Naples. to reflect moodily over the interview which had taken place and the compact which had been mades CHAPTER LVII. THE PLACARDS. SIGNOR PALMAS was occupying apn apartment within the walls of the mansion; and Charles was glad to have his company at the dioner-table, so that he might not be left to the species of em- barrassment in.which he knew he should have been placed if he were altogether alone with the sisters. They retired early to their respec- tive chambers; and awoke in the morning to meet between nine and ten o'clock at the well- appointed breakfast table. In the middle of the day the mourning raiment was delivered for the use of the ladies and of the young Count; for the milliners and the tailor had toiled un- ceasingly to get the work finished. Signor Pal- mas went into the town to visit Signor Benvenuto, and expedite the settlement of the requisite for- malities in respect to the final establishment of our hero’s rights; and in the meantime the young nobleman determined to render himself better ac- quainted than he already was with his new abode. As a matter of courtesy, be requested the sisters to eccompany him in his tour of inspection through the spacious premises. And now therefore behold him with the Princess and Countess leaning on his arms, visiting the beautiful picture gallery and then the museum of statues which formed part of his palatial residence. Everywhere were they encoun- tered by the evidences of the refined taste as well as of the wealth of the late Count of Camerino ; and the more they saw of the mansion, the better were they enabled to comprehend the vastness of the expense that must have been incurred in its adorning and embellishment, When Signor Palmas returned in the afternoon, he sought an opportunity of observing to our hero, “tlere is the key, my lord, of the bureau in the j library where the late Count kept most of his cor- respondence. You will perhaps choose to look over the documents which you will there find, inasmuch as you may light upon papers of interest, and even of vtility, in respect to the management of the estate; while on the other hand there may be scine political correspondence which under existing circumstances you might deem it prudent to de- stroy.” Our hero took the key, thanking the worthy lawyer for his attention ; and he proceeded to the library. Opening the bureau, he commenced the examination of the papers which he found there; and presently the idea entered into his head tha¢ there might be some secret drawer or recess con- cealed in that bureau; for to a certain extent it resembled a desk which belonged to the British That desk had secret re- cesses for the better safeguard of important diplo- matic papers; and Charles beheld certain indica- tions about the desk which he was now examining, whick led him to fancy that it had contrivances on the same plan as the other. He was not long in discovering that his surmise was perfectly correet: MIGIOOKS C© ee ee” Sor eee CO inn