Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 94: what you’re looking at

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

a Oe Ee Ne ew ee 8&6 “ Blessed saints !’’ cried the girl becoming very pale ; “ what are all these things you are telling me, signor? Secret doors in the walls—precau- tions Oh! what has happened to imy dear mistress P what do you fear? what do you appre- hend P” ““Ssme tersible treachery has been at work, Antonia! Your mistress is not here—and this aoor was locked on the inside. It could not there- fore be by these means that she went forth!” And that Englishman, signor ?” ejaculated Antonia,—* think you that he was capable * He capable of doing her any harm? Ob, no! he was a friend who came to succour me! Ah, this mystery is dreadful—dreadful, Antonia! Yes —it could have been no delusion on the part of your mistress! She must have seen that wainscot open and then close behind the Marchioness on that memorable night——” “The Marchioness P” ejaculated Antonia, “ Ah ! ZT have had my suspicions that there was some- thing wrong on the part of the Marchioneas ! The Signora Ciprina and yourself have asked so many questions concerning her ladyship ve Tt is time you should know everything, An- tonia,” interrupted Marcellin ; “and great is the pity that your mistress did not all along take you more completely into her confidence! You are faithful—and you love your mistress * “ Ob, yee, signor! do not doubt it !” ejaculated Antozia, with tears in her eyes as she thus spoke. “Oh, if any harm has befallen her!” “We must endeavour to penetrate this mys- tery,” said Marcellin. ‘Whether your mistress and Mr. De Vere have been together treacherously dealt with—or whether it be your mistress only— are questions now involved in doubt and uncer- tainty. But listen, Antonia, while in a few words I tell you certain secrets which need not for an- other moment be concealed from you. The Mar- chioness was the real assassin of the unfortunate Giulio—but she would fain seek to fix the crime upon me! It was she who wounded me, when I stole secretly into this mansion to collect the neces- sary evidence to bring the crime home to her. She hates and mistrusts your mistress Ciprina, because Ciprina loves me and has saved my life. And when I spoke to you of secret passages, and of precautions that have been taken, it was because the other night the Marchioness stole into these rooms and poured poison into every jug, and glass, and cup : “Oh, signor!” ejaculated Antonia, with horror depicted in her countenance: “ are we really be- neath the roof of such a demoness ?” ‘‘ Have you ever read of Lucrezia Borgia P” asked Edgar, with an impressive look and tone. “ Yes, yes!—and I know full well that the pic- ture which was moved from the gallery to the Signora Ciprina’s chamber, represents Lucrezia Borgia, though every one would say that it was painted rs “As the portrait of Lucrezia di Mirano !” added Marcellin. “ Yes !—and Lucrezia Mirano is as perfect a fiend as was Lucrezia Borgia! Now you know everything, Antonia! Wiil you render me your assistance to the utmost of your power P” “TT will, signor—I will!” exclaimed the young woman. ‘ Ob, i will do anything that may help to solve the fate of my dear mistress, whom [I love ao — - AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, so well; for she has been so kind and good to me! What can I do, signor P” “Tn the first place,” answered Edgar, “go and see if the Marchioness be returned from the villa; and if so, ascertain when she came back—throw yourself in her way—see if she puts any question to you concerning your mistress or me——In short, see how she will act.” “And if her ladyship be not at the mansion ?” said Antonia inquiringly. “Then hasten to Signor Petroro’s—ascertain if Mr. De Vere returned thither last night—or where he is living in Florence. Then seek him—and be- seech him to come to me,” “T will set off at once, signor,” responded An- tonia. “But do you not incur a fearful risk in remaining here? You say that the Marchioness seeks to affix upon you the foul crime of which she herself was really guilty. What if she were to invoke the aid of the police? In short, signor, what if she were to hand you over to the sbirri, under the horrible imputation ——” “All this I must risk, Antonia!” interrupted Marcellin, ‘But accept my best thanks for the generous interest which you display on my behalf. The Marchioness does not seem to have the courage to venture upon a bold and open fight. She is continuing the warfare by occult and perfidious means—she is digging mines and pitfalls—and this appears to have been her entire policy throughout: or else why did she not at any instant summon the sbirvi into the mansion and give me into cus- tody P—for she has all along known that I have been here. No, no! the whole course of her proceed- ings has been characterized by the slimy, stealthy, creeping conduct of the reptile; and not for a moment has she had the boldness to stand forward as an open foe and accuse me! She seeks to de- stroy all the evidences that I may accumulate—to destroy me likewise—but she dares not meet me in a court of justice!” “ But is it not almost unaccountable, signor,” inquired Antonia, “that the Marchioness should have caused my mistress to be carried off, as you believe to have been the case,—and yet you your- self are left behind, though buried in a profound © sleep, as you admit yourself to have been —— “Truly, my dear Antonia,” interrupted Mare cellin, “there are many things which are myste- rious and unaccountable: but we can only take the facts as we find them and reason upon them in that sense, There is just the possibility—the faint possibility—that your mistress Ciprina may have discovered the secret passage—that she may have gone forth by that means for some purpose—and that she may therefore presently return. In this case I am bound to tarry here and wait the result —though I confess that my fears far transcend mr hopes “Ah! I will lose not another instant, signor,’ exclaimed Antonia, “in doing my best to clear uf this mystery! I will depart at once!” “Ah! one word mere?” ejaculated Marceilia “When you introduced Mr, De Vere hither last night, did your mistress-give you any particular instructions P” “No, signor—only that I was to retire the mo- ment I had conducted Mr. De Vere to the ante- room : therefore I concluded that I was not to sleep hore last night, as on tho two preceding nights L Se tenes ae ee een eee (©) im Ebooks a 5}