Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

ee 296 * And if I deemed it more prudent,” said Ciprina, after a few moments’ reflection, “ to adopt whatsoever precautions should be taken by a young lady dwelling in this city whereof you seem not to entertain too good an opinion,—what course would you advise? what plan would you recommend ?—in short, what can you do for me P” **T do not aim at impossibilities,” answered La Dolfina: “Ido not pretend to possess the power of rendering you invulnerable to the dagger’s point. You have an eye to watch lest the blow should be levelled against you ; and you have an arm to ward it off. But if it be by means ofa subtle poison that any enemy of your’s should seek to work - “* What in this case can you do ?” asked Ciprina. “Tell me, quickly, I beseech you!—for I am in haste to take my departure!” “To me have descended the traditions of many secrets,” responded La Dolfina ; “ but i¢ may be eufficient to observe that if the receipts for com- pounding every subtle pcison be within my posses- sion, the knowledge of the antidote for each and all is mine likewise. Do not deem that I am giving way to idle vaunts, or that I am naught more than one of the herd of vulgar empirics seeking to dispose of their nostrums by every pos- sible means, fair or false “ ** No, no,” interjected Ciprina: “I have not this evil opinion of you! Report says that you set a value upon the fame which you have ac- quired and the large amount of patronage which your wisdom in your dealings has brought you: I have moreover heard it whispered that you never undertake that which you cannot perform ;—and, to be brief, if I had not experienced the utmost confidence in your skill and your integrity, I should not have been here at this moment. Now speak frankly, but quickly and briefly, I conjure you!” ** Behold, signora !” exclaimed La Dolfina, pro- ducing another phial, which she had hitherto kept concealed amongst her garments. ‘“ This is an antidote to every poison with which treachery and revenge, spite or jealousy, envy or malice, are ac- customed to work in this city. Two drops taken daily in any of your usual beverages, will render your life a charmed one against the attack of any poison which may be insidiously administered. But understand me well! It is an antidote only against poisons that. pass the portals of the lips : it would prove ineffective against poison infused into the blood. Thus, for instance, if you be bitten by the venomed tooth of a serpent—or if you be wounded by a poisoned weapon— you must not look to the contents of this phial as a means of cure. Butif on the other hand you drink the deadliest poison which the products of nature can yield or which human ingenuity can eliminate, its effects would be utterly counteractec by that fluid.” Ciprina placed some more pieces of gold upon the table ; and she said, ** I am now about to take my departure. I do not ask you whether you know me, or whether I am altogether a stranger to you: but I believe that La Dolfina is accus- tomed to maintain the profoundest secrecy in refer- enceto the objects of ail who visit her a * And not only the objects, signora,” responded the wise-woman; “but likewise in respect to names ard persons.” AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. La Dolfioa lighted the young lady down the staircase, and opened the front door to afford her egress. Ciprina calculated that she had been three-quarters of an hour absert from the Mirano mansion; and she hastened through the streets with a speed that was accelerated by the poignancy of uneasiness and suspense on behalf of her pa- tient. Unobserved by any one, either without or within the building, she effected an entry ; and on reaching her chamber she found that Edgar Marcellin was sleeping in precisely the same posi- tion in which she had left him. How her heart beat as she first crossed the threshold and beheld him lying motionless on the couch !—and what a cold shuddering passed over her at the dread idea that his epirit might have fled during her absence ! And then how infinite was her relief when on gliding towards him, she perceived that his lips moved and that the sound of a regular respiration came therefrom. potion down his throat; and then she applied some of the balsam to the wound. this she sat down by his side to keep watch over her patient; for she experienced not the slightest inclination to retire to rest. Ciprina had several handmaidens specially at- tached to her own service; but of these there was only one whom she was accustomed to treat with the fullest confidence,—the one, in short, who was admitted into the secret of her amours, and who stood in the same light towards herself as Lisetta had been wont todo towards the Marchioness. The young female who had thus become Ciprina’s confidante, was named Antonia: she was much attached to her mistress; and her trustworthiness was beyond all question. Antonia was therefore now to be the only depositress of the secret that Edgar Marcellin, in a wounded state, was an in- mate of Ciprina’s chamber. It was perfectly easy for this secret to be kept from the knowledge of the other handmaidens, inasmuch as the amours alike of the Marchioness and Ciprina often led to the issue of particular orders for which no expla- nation was volunteered; and thus, if Ciprina chose to intimate that she should require the ser- vices of Antonia only for the next few days, the mandate would be complied with—it would not have a strange appearance—and indeed would ex- cite little curiosity. Thus, to Antonia was the secret of Edgar Marcellin’s presence in Cipriua’s chamber revealed; and a command to the effect at which we have above hinted was issued to the other handmaidess attached to Ciprina’s service. We have already seen that the language used by La Dolfina towards Ciprina, had produced no mean impression upon the young lady, *Lucrezia,” she thought within herself, thus alluding to the Marchioness, ‘may perhaps now hate me as much as she has ever liked me; be- cause the terrific secrets of her crimes have come to my knowledge. She must dread likewise lest Edgar, regardless of my influence, should persist in the exposure of her iniquity so soon as he shall | ba restored to health. Yes!—for a thousand rea- | sons she musé wish that the blow had proved fatal and that he should have ceased to exist! Mav there not have been something terribly prophetis } in La Dolfina’s words—though she herself spoke ; them at mere random—as indeed she must have done, and was therefore ignorant of the impor- She lost no time in pouring the - Having done | rr rr a rm (EO) book S|