Agnes: A Tale of the Streets — page 116: what you’re looking at

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

A4AGNEE; OB, BHAUTY AND PLEASURE. enabled me to accomplish the business thus speedily. I received your lordship’s letter which you sent me from Florence ” “Well, well,” interjected the Marquis somewhat impatiently: “and you——” At thie juncture Charles De Vere rose from his seat, and advanced towards the window of the apartment in which he found himself. He did not wish to play the part of eavesdropper in respect to the discourse which was taking place between the Marquis and Signor Palmas. The partition be- tween the two rooms was a very slight one; and hence fhe facility with which whatsoever was eaid irfone could be overheard in the other. By mov- ing to the window, our hero lost a part of the dis- course betwixt Ortona and his newly-arrived friend; and then for some little time also these two personages conversed in a much lower tone than that in which they first began speaking. The window looked upon the court-yard; and Charles, observing nothing there to interest him, was about to have recourse again to the volume of poems, when he was startled by an exclamation in the ad- joining room. “This is truly wonderful!” cried the Marquis of Ortona: “it is almost incredible !” Then Palmas said something, which*the ears of Charles did not cetch. “For the present therefore,” proceeded the Marquis, “ we will say nothing to him on the sub- ject. But never was anything more marvellous! By heaven, it is a perfect romance !” Again was there some remark from the lips of Palmas, inaudible to our hero. “You yourself can go thither,” resumed the Marquis of Ortona: “ you can give the informa- tion Indeed you can prepare the people of the place ” here the nobleman’s voice sank so that Charles caught not the next portion of the sen- tence: but he heard him conclude by saying, “ And 1 hope, if all things gq well, to accompany him thither myself.” “Then I shall expect your lordship; and but here the voice of Palmas became iuaudible to Charles. The Marguis said something in reply ; and then again burst forth into the exclamation of “ It is marvellous! Who could possibly have thought it? Did it not astovish you P” “‘ Naturally, my lord,” responded Palmas. “To toll the tratb, I never was more amazed in all my life—and I could scarcely believe my own eyes.” The Marquia then said something, of which all that Charles could catch were the words, “ inten- tivus honourably varried out” ——- “ instructions obeyod to the very letter.” . There was again an interyal of discourse carried on in a very low tone betwixt the Marquis and bis friend; and then the latter took bis leave. Charles De Vere wondered to what subject the particulars of that -ifiterview could allude, and what matter could havé" transpired to elicit such vehement ejaculations of surprise and astonish- ment from the lips of the Marquis. He: could not conceal from himself that bis curiosity had become excited after he had risen from the chair and ap- proached the window; and that contrary to his original design, he had avtually become a listener. He was angry with himself for the circumstance: but still be again felt moro or less curious in re- > 301 ference to a subject which could have excited eo much astonishment on the part of both Ortona and Palmas. “My visitor has gone,” said the Marquis, now opening the door of communication between the two rooms and beckoning Charles to rejoin him. He said nota syllable in reference to the pur- port of that individual’s visit; and he evidently did not suspect that Charles bad overheard a syllable of the discourse that had passed. Presently Raguso and Columella returned, bringing numerous letters, which the Marquis of Ortona read with the utmost attention, destroying some as soon as they were perused, and making memoranda on the backs of the others. The two Italians whom we have just named, together with Voitura and Spezzi, acted as the aides-de-camp and messengers of the Marquis, keeping up the re- quisite communications between head-quarters and the other houses in Genoa amongst which the remainder of the conspirators were distributed. Thus the hours passed away; aud we may add that the time hung hesvily enough upon the hands of our hero—for he could not settle his mind to reading ; and as the Marquis did not leave the qPansion during the day, Charles had no opportunity of obtaining a view of the principal streets or buildings of Genoa. Dinner was served in the afternoon at about four o’clock; and at six the company began to disperse in pairs, ostensibly for the purpose of lounging out to visit the oalés or billiard-tables, but in reality to seek the purt and embark on board the vessel which the con- spiratore had bought for that purpose, “Now, my young friend,” said the Marquis of Ortona, when he and our hero were left alone to. gether, “ we will light our cigars and refresh our- selves with a walk after Raguso’s excellent wine.” This was said in the presence of a domestic ; and tho Marquis went forth from the houee with our hero. Arm-in-arm they proceeded through tho streets: they reached the quay of tl harbour of Genoa, while the dusk wd closing rapidly in: they entered a boat which was waiting at a particular eput ; and the watermen, who had evidently received their instructions, rowed to- wards a vessel which lay at a little distance, CHAPTER LIIL TUK RXPELITION. Ovk hero was now on board the ship which had been fitted for the revolutionary expeditiun. Signor Raguso was a wealthy merchant; the vessel had been bought in hie name—the arms and ammunition had been sent off from his warehouse, under the semblance of bales of goods—and thus nothing had transpired to excite the suspicion of the local authorities, The conspirators, about sixty in number, had embarked from different points, a few ata time; and, in a word, every precaution had been taken to throw a veil over the proceedings. The Marquis and Charles were amonget the last for whom tbe ship bad waited ; and very soun after they set fuut upon the deck Oo Conniclooolks CO