Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 391: what you’re looking at

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

i AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. —_—_—_ _that with a breath he can destroy our reputations, I was the veriest lunatic on earth to tell Floribel of the compact which you and I had made! A man may go astray—or he may even wink at his wife’s going astray: but to give her an actual per- mission so to do—to consent to his own dishonour —to help to plant horns on his own forehead— this indeed is something which no man would like to have thrownin histeeth! And thus I made up my mind that it would be better to let the affair drop with Charles De Vere—or the Count of Camerino, as I suppose we must now call him, But how on earth came you to fail with him, Cicely ? One would think that a handsome woman like you But after all,’ said Hector, suddenly interrupting himself, “it is better that it should be as it is;—and mind, the compact no longer exists between us!” Cicely smiled ironically for a moment, as she said, ‘‘ Not I suppose until you fallin with some other woman of whom you will becomo enamoured ? But to return to the Count of Camerina, as we must call him. Did you write to him?” “J was in honour bound to do go,” replied Hector, “as it was I who gave the challenge at Turin. I let several days elapse before I decided how to act; and I was just on the point of writing to him in Florence—where I supposed from the tenor of his note he would bo—when I read in the newspaper that a certain young Eng- lishman named Charles De Vere, employed in the British diplomatic service, had just inherited the title and estates of Camerino, I thought there must be some mistake, until I afterwards read that he bad suddenly been arrested for being concerned in the attack on Leghorn. So then I thought there was no necessity for writing at all, inasmuch as he was safe to be put to death. But, lo and behold! he was pardoned ; and then I penned him a letter in which I stated that under existing cire cumstances I did not wish to revive former rancours, but that if ho himself felt in any way aggrieved towards me, I should hold myself bound to afford him satisfaction. “And to this letter you doubtless received no answer?” said Cicely. “ None,” responded her husband. ‘“ Perhaps,” he added, with a smile, “you would like me to have shot the young fellow who dared prove in- different to your charms ?” * As you would doubtless like to be revenged,” responded Cicely, “on that coy young demirep who seems to have been proof against your fascinations. And thus for weeke past you have been hunting after her——” “And all in vain,” added Hector. think no more of theso affairs failed " “One question 1 have to ask you,” said Cicely. “ You observed just now that there was a third reason for the course which you adopted towards the Count of Camerino: but you did not tell me what this reason was.” “Ah, 1 forgot!’ ejaculated Herdress. ‘ You know I wrote and told you that my father and mother passed through Turin on their way to Slilan.’ “¥es,” said Cicely. “Ah! I suppose his lord- ship heard of your quarrel with Charles De Vero— the young Count I mean 4 “Tet us that have et tt LCE, 383 “Precisely so. My father heard that I had been locked up in prison for some hours, and that De Vere was ordered at tho same time to quit tho city. J cannot picture to you how agitated my father was: he did not speak to me before my mother—but he took me aside, and he implored and entreated that 1 would renounce my animosit7 against De Vere. Ho knew that I had once be- fore fought a duel with him: and he declared it was quite sufficient to prove our prowess to each other, 1 had not fhen quite made up my mind how I should act in the business; and I refused to give my father any pledge. Would you believe it, he was almost wild—he even threatened me ina manner so strange that I knew not what to think. However, at last I decided on the course I should pursue; and then my father, thinking that I had yielded only to his entreaties and to no other con- siderations, became as extravagant in his joy as he had been in his anger and grief. You know that be is not a man to give way to violont gusts of emotion ; and therefore the seone astonished me not a little, I can tell you.” * Yes—it was strange,’ observed Cicely. “ When did you arrive here, at Boulogne?” asked Hector. “Only yesterday afternoon,” responded his wife. “And now tell me, Hector—are you sure that you incur no risk by returning to England to stand your trial ?” “Not a bit of it at least [ hopo not,” ho answered, for a moment displaying a certain degree of uneasiness by a look and a gesture. “Ah, I forgot to tell you, my father and mother will bo in London. ‘They were to leave Milan on the first of January; and so woe shall find them in town,” “Are they anxious about the trial?” inguired Cicely. ‘““My mother is—but no& my father, Ho knows how it must end. By tho bye, how is JosephineP Where issho? Here have I been half-an-hour with you, and have not once thought of inquiring after her !” Cicely gave no immediate answer; and asher busband looked at her, wondering why she did not speak, he was struck by something peculiar in the expression of her countenance. He started and turned pale: he wondered whether Josephine could possibly have told Cicely the preciso circumstances attending the death of Theodore Clifford in tho field in the neighbourhood of Notting Hill? ‘Is anything the matter, Cicely ?” ho demanded. “Did you not hear what I said P” “‘ Josephine is in her chamber,” responded Mra. Hardress, with a certain dryness of tone which indicated something, “ Why—what do you mean? Is she ill? or has anything happenedr” faltered out Hector. “7 do not think,” answered Cicely, “ that mat. ters are altogether right with Josephine. In- deed I scarcely know what to think—tI fear to give way to thought upon the subject : “Good God! what do you mean ?” exclaimed Hardress: and it was with difficulty he could eon- ceal the awful terror which seized upon him. “For the last three months,” resumed Cicely,— * that is to say, ever since the duel—Josephine has been an altered creature i “Well,” interjected Hardress; “and was it not Comicdoo EE 5}