Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 349: what you’re looking at

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

Tc AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, 341 molate myself on the very spot where his innocent blood is shed!” CHAPTER LX. THE MILITARY TRIBUNAL. It was about nine o’elock in the evening when the several equipages rolled away from the front of the Camerino mansion; and it was about one o'clock in the morning when they entered the city of Sienna. We will follow the Princess of Spar- tivento, who arrived some ten minutes or a quarter of an hour after the other persons; and she gave such orders that her chaise pursued not the same route through the streets as the equipage which bore Charles and her sister had taken. She alighted at an hotel, and at once proceeded to the chamber that was prepared for her. Sleep did not however visit the unhappy woman’s eyes for a long time after she lay down: but she eventually obtained an hour or two of repose—yet troubled and agitated was it. She quitted her chamber between eight and nine o’clock in the morning, and was proceeding to the sitting-room where her breakfast was served up, when on the stairs she encountered Stefano Voitura. Her first impulse was to level a bitter reproach at the man who had instigated her to practise the horrible perfidy against De Vere: but a second thought suddenly struck her, and she received Voitura with apparent kindness. “T presume you have heard all that happened ?” she said to him, woen by her inpvitation he had followed her into the sitting-room. * No—LI have heard nothing,” answered Voitura, —‘“ only that if the new-fangled Count were taken prisoner, he would be brought to Sienna. This I was told last night in the town of Camerino when I delivered the billet which your Highness penned.” “‘ And what brings you to Sienna ?” inquired the Princess. “To watch the proceedings—and because I judged that your Highness also would come, inas- much as you may be needed as a witness. There- fore Raguso and Spezzi are likewise with me here, to be upon the spot to consult with your ladyship upon what is next to be done—and also . “‘ And also what?” asked the Princess. “And also to see if your Highness can inform us of some secure place wherein we may conceal the box containing the correspondence which s0 seriously implicates the late King of Piedmont,” “‘That correspondence which you found in the subterranean of the Camerino mansion 2?” “The same, my lady. You may be enabled to tell us whether it will be safe for us to restore the box to that hiding-place—I mean after the young Englishman shall have been executed ——”’ “The authorities are aware of the existence of that subterranean,” said the Princess. ‘ The young Count surrendered up the infamous Flo- rentine prisoner, La Dolfina, who had concealed herself there. But you have something more to learn. It is that my sister has emancipated her- self from the meshes of the law. The Count isa prisoner, and is at Sienna: but my sister $e “What! her ladyship is free ?” ejaculated Voitura, in astonishment. ‘And yet your High- ness gave information about both ?” ‘“Do you happen to have read,” inquired tho Princess, “any of the large placards which have been everywhere posted in reference to La Dol- fina ?” “Yes, signora. I recollect being struck by the singularity of one of the inducements held out for any person who might think fit, and who might have the power, to betray her into custody,— that such person should be forgiven all past offences against the law, of whatsoever kind, with the single exception of murder.” “ And now you understand,” said the Princess, ‘how it occurred that my sister was enable to save herself. She happened to know that La Dolfina was concealed in the subterranean ° ‘The Count, her paramour, must have told her ?” “ Ah, Signor Voitura !” interjected the Princess, “we have committed a most fatal mistake and you behold before you the most wretched of women 4 “Good heavens! what means your Highness P” exclaimed Stefano, in amazement. “‘T mean,” pursued Bianca, “ that we misjudged the young Count and my sister. It is naught but the purest friendship which subsisted between them. Of this I have acquired the certitude be- yond the possibility of doubt. And Oh! may we not have judged De Vere hastily and harshly P— may we not have misinterpreted his motives in shouting for the republic at Leghorn P” “Tf I thought that I had wronged this young map,” said Voitura, “I should never know another minute’s happiness in my life!” “And we have wronged him!” cried the Prin- cess vehemently. “ Oh, believe me, he is the most generous-hearted of men! It would be a history tuo long—and likewise too humiliating for myself vi “Princess!” ejaculated Voitura, “tell mo, I adjure you—are you conscious of having done any wrong towards that Englishman? Could you, when I was misjudging him, have said aught to remove the prejudice from my mind? Could you, when I insisted that it was needful to our own interest to remove him from our path,—could you have shown reasons why he ought to be allowed to live? In a word " “‘In a word,” repeated the Princess, with a look full of anguish and contrition; “ I have acted a shameful part, Voitura—and I implore you, in the name of justice and mercy, to help and mitigate the foul injury which we have jointly done!” “ Signora,” said Stefano, “I am a man of the sternest and most inflexible justice. I would have sacrificed De Vere without remorse when I thought that bis death would be advantageous to the sacred cause of Italian freedom: but if I have been in error, I will now lay down my own life, if needful, to prevent a single hair of his head from being injured !” : “Ob, I knew that this was your disposition !” exclaimed the Princess fervently: “and it was for this reason that I have been telling you all these things! Let it suffice for you to know, signor, that if the young Englishman shall perish, his in- nocent blood will be upon your head and upon mine! What can be done to save him?” MIELOOO (©) 5}