Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 47: what you’re looking at

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

hind that vile woman ee AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, $8 | with something like feverish petulance. ‘* Do yuu CHAPTER VIII. | not possess an antidote , ' © And whence came that antidote?” said Ci- THE aPPOINTMENT AT THE VILLA. MARCELLIN sank back upon his pillow, almost eompletely exhausted by the terrific excitement through which he had been hurried as if on the wildly-flapping wing of the hurricane. But he now caught somewhat of that feeling of confi- dence which Ciprina herself evidently expe- rienced ; he began to think that something ter- rible, but as yet utterly unknown to himself, must have occurred, and that he had harboured the most injurious suspicions against Ciprina. *Tell me,” he said, “ what is it that has hap- pened ?” ** We have both incurred the most fearful dan- gers,” answered Ciprina. “ That fiend in human shape, Lucrezia Mirano ss * Ah! is it possible,” ejaculated Edgar, “ that this demoness has again - “ Yes—she has again sought and found oppor- tunilies of pursuing her terrible machinations,” continued Ciprina; “but heaven be thanked! they have been frustrated. Ah! fortunate was it that I placed in the adjoining chamber the por- trait of her prototype Lucrezia Borgia! It must have been some sudden movement which she made —or else some ejaculation from her lipsp—I know not which—that startled me up into a condi- tion of completest wakefulness ; and then " “ But Ob, Ciprina !” asked Edgar, “ how was it possible that she could have found her way into your apartments ? Do you rot think that it was some terrible hallucination P” “Ah, no! it was a frightful reality,” rejoined Ciprina. “ There is a secret means of access to the ante-chamber—I saw the wainscot close be- ”» “Oh, Ciprina !” murmured Edgar, “ neither you nor I are safe within these walls!” “ ear not,” interrupted the young lady, with a voice and look that were both decisively firm. “I ' will bafile her in all her arts—I will defeat her in » all her projects-——’ “ Better seek the authorities of justice at once !” ejaculated Marcellin passionately. ““ No,” answered Ciprina, for a moment speak- ing and looking with the same decisive firmness as before—and then hastily adding, “ No—not yet! —such a course will not be politic! We must have better proofs than those which we possess es “And what better proof,’ demanded Edgar, “than that she dealt me the blow which has pros- trated we here P” ““And what if she were to allege,” asked Ci. prina, “ that she met in the picture-gallery a man whom she took to be a robber, and that she stabbed him, believing that it was in self- defence ?” “Then denounce her as a poisoner!” inter- jected Marcellin with inereasing vehemence. “ You yourself have beheld enough this night ‘ “ Tranquillize yourself—or excitement will kill you,” interrupted Ciprina impressively. ‘ No- thing that you suggest canI nowdo. If I were to proclaim this tale of poisoning, I should be esked how you and I escaped——” “And how did we escape ?” inquired Edgar | prina, calmly and quietly. ‘ From the hands of a woman whom I would not have it generally known that I had visited. Iam alluding to La Dolfina, to whose house in the middle of the night I went, as I have before told you, to procure medicaments for yourself. She it was who gave me the anti- dote. There seemed to be something like the force of prophecy itself in her words ye * Ab, Ciprina!” said Marcellin, speaking in a voiee that was feeble from exhaustion and tremu- lous with emotion, “all that you have just been telling me, reminds me of the many things you have done on my behalf; and the very danger you have just now incurred of perishing by poison was entailed upon you by the circumstance of your having thrown a protecting shield over me! You seem to be speaking to me in an altered tone— there is a coldness “Question me not, Edgar Marcellin, on this subject,” interrupted Ciprina, still firmly and yet quietly. “ And why not question you?” asked Marcellin. “Think you not that I am interested in the de- meanour that you display towards me? — think you that I have no feeling, and that I am not disturbed when I see that you are cold and dis- tant y * No—not cold and distant,” said Ciprina, with some little degree of vehemence; and then imme- diately resuming the level quiescence of manner she had been before displaying, she added, “I am not cold nor reserved ; and rest assured that in no sing!e point will my attentions be less sedu- lous or my ministrations less constant than they have hitherto been. But henceforth you will be- hold in me only a nurse to attend upon you, and | @ guardian to protect you against danger. I now comprehend my true position—you have made me understand it—the lesson was a severe one—but still it was better that my mind should be thus enlightened !” “Good heavens, Ciprina!” ejaculated Edgar Marcellin, “ what do you mean? I do not under- stand you!” “You just now suspected,” rejoined Ciprina, “that I was capable of administering poison to you!” “Oh! for a word hastily spoken,” ejaculated the invalid, with a true anguish depicted on his countenance, ‘you would not bear rancour against me !” “ Rancour? — no! heaven forbid!” answered Ciprina. “ But that word hastily spoken was as much a sign to me in respect to the current of your thoughts, as the straw which is whirled past may be taken as an indication of the direction of the hurricane. In short, Edgar Marcellin, you have no real confidence in me—you think so little of me that at the very first glimpse of any threat- ening circumstance your suspicion would fasten itself upon me and I who have done all that I can to save you, and have risked my own life in your behalf!’ Ciprina had not naturally much strength of mind nor much command over her emotions. She was of too sensuously indolent a disposition—too prone to abandon herself to a voluptuous langeor, Ghook ee ——————————— — ———— co 5}