Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 51: what you’re looking at

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

een een AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. 43 Yes—you know not how I love you! [I feel, | as if sunk a thousand fathoms below the surface of Lucrezia, that I shall be unhappy and discon- | the sea—how every voice which might give vent tented 5 ; to an accusation against any great one at the time, ' ©You unhappy and discontented?” she ejacu- | was there stifled—how every tongue which threat- lated, surveying the Count with an air of surprise | ened to proclaim truths that were unpleasant to the blended with a show of tenderest anxiety. Court or its favourites, was there gagged mH *Yes—until I can do something to prove how “ Yes, yes,” said Lucrezia,—“ I have read ofall ardently I love you—to show how grateful Iam for | this. But what bas that to do, my dear Count, the happiness which you are now conferring upon | with the circumstances of the present day—and me——in a word, to convince you that I hold my- | those circumstances applying themselves to Tus- self to be your slave! Ah, the idea that you should | cany ?” be molested by any wretched Neapolitan refugee! ! “It means, dearest Lucrezia,—it means,” re- Why, if you possessed enemies the greatest and | peated Ramorino, with a smile that was peculiar most powerful in the land, I would find means to ! and sinister in its significancy,—“‘it means that sweep them all from the face of the earth!” Tuscany has its Bastilles which yawn to rective ** Ab, my dear Count,” said the Marchioness, at | the enemies of the Court or of the high dignitaries the same time bestowing another caress: “ you | of the State. And when I add, Lucrezia, that if are very kind: but z you happen to possess enemies, they become my “But what, Lucrezia!” interjected Ramorino. | enemies also—you know what I mean !” Do you doubt my power?—for I am sure that * Ab, this is indeed a strong proof of love which you cannot suspect the sincerity of my inclination | you are giving me!” exclaimed the Marchioness, to do all I have promised if at any time you should | winding her warm white arms about the Minister's put me to the test ?” neck and covering his cheeks with kisses. “ But “ No, no, dear Count—I do not suspect your in- | do you mean me to understand that prisoners who élination! heaven forbid! after all the assurances | are carried off in this manner, remain altogether you have given me! But your power—isit in-| lost to the world, and that the world is lost to deed so very great ?” them—that henceforth no communication can take “Greater than that of the Grand Duke him-| place i self,” responded Ramorino, a certain look of pride “Between them and the world? No—none!” now mingling with the gaze of brimful passion | replied Ramerino. “It isaspecies of death—with which he was fixing upon the upturned counte- this difference, that the aid of the headsman or nance of the Marchioness: “ yes, greater than that | the hangman has not been called iu.” of the Sovereign himself! I will tell youwhy.; “Still I scarcely understand you,” said tho ff the Grand Duke sought to plunge an enemy | Marchioness. “ Suppose now for instance that I into a dungeon, he must procure my counter-' had an enemy—or let us say a couple of ene- signature to the warrant; and that counter-| mies 4s signature would not be given without sufficient| Well,” interjected the Count; “and let us reasons. But on the other hand, if I sought to| suppose that these two enemies had obtained pos- immure a foe in a fortalice till the end of his days | session of some secret which threatened the loss of —to wall him yp as it were in a living tomb—I | your reputation--or your fortune—or your liberty have but to present the warrant to his Highness | —or your life " and demand his assent, without the necessity of ‘Well, well,’ said the Marchioness hastily; affording a single syllable of explanation.” “let us suppose something of this sort,—of course “Ob, then, the power you wield is indeed|I should be glad to silence such enemies for great!” murmured the Marchioness, now ‘appear- | ever 2 ing to gaze with mingled pride and fondness upon * Naturally so,” interrupted the Count,—* whils the countenance of the Minister. ‘‘ It is sweet to you would not precisely like to go tosucha length have you as a friend : it would be terrible to have as to take their lives. And then too, disappear- you as an enemy !” ance and murder are very different! The former “And remember well, Lucrezia,” rejoined the | leaves naught behind to tell a tale, but at onco Count, “that whatsoever terror there may be in | involves everything in a stupendous and awful the power which I wield, shall be felt by your | mystery; whereas, on the other hand, the latter enemies!” leaves its bloodmarks and its sanguineous “Ah! if I dared !” ejaculated the Marchioness | traces——” —*Ob, if I dared!”—and then she stopped “True! true!’ said the Marchioness, with a short. strong inward excitement—though as her form “What mean you ?” inquired the Count hastily. | quivered to the pressure of the Count’s arms, he “There is something in your mind? Oh, if I+; fancied that it was palpitating with a softer and could render you a service | mora sensuous passion. “ And this disappearance “Did you not say,” inquired Lucrezia, eyvi- | means immurement in a dungeon?” ently reflecting deeply with an under-current of | Jt meane incarceration in a fortress,’ rejoined thought, at the same time that she put the ques- | the Minister, “the walls of which are so thick tion,—“ did you not say that you had the power— | that they beat back every sound from within and the fearful power—of immuring a foe in a dun- intercept every sound from without,—a fortress geon—vwalling bim up in a living tomb ue where the gaolers and the sentinels have no ears “Yes, all that power,” responded the Count of | and no eyes for aught beyond the orders witch Meamérino. ‘* You have read history, my dear | they receive from their superiors—where hope dics Lucrezia—you know what the Bastille of former | upon the threshold the instant it is crossed by the times was in Paris,—bhow men were plunged into | foot of the in-going captive—and whence there ig its silent depths, and as much lost to the world! no out-coming so long as the cause for which 3 Coimichbookssco 5}