Agnes: A Tale of the Streets — page 124: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, 809 Lurriedly tu say, now turning to the sbirro, “we twinkling of an eye as the looks of our hero were have a mounted courier in attendance upon us: ho , thrown upon her; and she immediately drew is to gallop on in front and order post-horees—he , down her veil. The Countess did not notice bow -will doubtless overtake us directly ——” | De Vere had started; and thus she suapected not “Ab! to order post-horeva?” eaid the official. | that the little incident of her becoming the y wig “Thon perbaps this gentleman | gentleman’s tutoress had excited such deep pus- “Is travelling with despatches from tho Gover- , sions in the busom of her sister. nor of Leghorn,” rejoined the Princess. The equipage continued its way; and for some “If the gentleman—your husband or brother , time silence prevailed, Charles reflected upon the rheps, signora+-had only condesconded tu open . singularity, and even awkwardness, of the position is lips for a moment, and proclaimed that fact, in which he was placed,— travelling alone with he would not bave been detained a single in- | those two sisters, and as yet in complete ignorance +stant.” | how long circumstancos might compel him to re- The sdirro banged the door, shouting out, “All! main in their company. The manner in which he right !’—-the barrier-gate was thrown open, and had just now seen the Princess looking at him, the equipage proceeded on ite way. had revived all that sense of deep loathing and “Yout Highness’s presence of mind,” said abhorrence with which tho assassination of Fossano Charles De Vere, “has extricated us from a very ' had inspired his soul; and though for the reasons serious dilemma. ‘The postilion, you perceive, is: already set forth, he strove to think leniently and entirely in our interest—he bas evidently been forbearingly of the Princess, he now found that well instructed: but we shall lose him at the next it was impossible. He felt a shuddering sensation stage—and then we shall find ourselves thrown | while in her society,—tbat same species of vague upon our own resources.” , cold terror which he would have experienced if it “If, signor,” said the Countess, with diffident | had been possible that at any moment she might accents, “ you would permit me—or my sister—to throw off the beautiful form of @ woman and pre- repeat two or three times the answer you ought to sent herself as a loathsome reptile. give when the passports are demanded-——” On the other hand he experienced a friendly “JT understand!’ ejaculated Charles, with a and almost brotherly feeling towards Lucia di Mi- amile. “I should become proficient. Yes! if your lazzo, whose looks had never expressed eaght but ladyship will consent to become my tutoreys, I | amiability and goodness, except when thuy glowed will Jearn the pronunciation to the utmost of my / with heroic enthusiasm, from the ficaé instant power.” ; that he had seen her. He could now no longer The lesgon was accordingly commenced; and the | fail to comprebend that the Princess Spartivento sweet musical voice of Lucia di Milazao conveyed regarded him ina manner to which be could not to the ear of Charles the precise accent and into- possibly reapund; and it was perhaps even some- nation with which the requisite words should be thing more than suspicion which be entertained to uttered, in order to explain in the briefest terms the effect that he had involuntarily made an im- that he was the bearer of despatches from the | pression upon the heart of the fair Lucia. But if Commandant of Leghorn. But he was not to say | this were the case, he felt that he could pity ber— that he was conveying such despatches to Florence, ; he could sympathize with her—he could offer her inasmuch es the route which the travellers were | his friendship, if it would prove a sufficiently con- to take would apeedily diverge in a more southern | soling subatitute tur the love which he coyld not direotion. Our hero was an apt scholar—the pre-' give. Yesa—it was thus that he cvould behave ceptress was an able one; she raised her veil, natu- | towards the gentle and amiable Lucia; while on rally enough, in order to render the leason more | the other hand he shudderingly revolted from the impressive; and as he repeated the sentence in | bare idea of any familiar contact with the more which she was instructing him, it was also natural imperious and unscrupulous Bianca. that Charles should look in her face. Noverthe- § The equipage pursued its way; and Terricciola less, we must emphatically observe that no thought was presently approached. Just as it came in nor idea in the slightest degree faithless to the view, a person on horseback overtook the chaise image of his Agnes entered his mind: but the | aud dashed past it. little circumstance which we are now relating | “That is a messenger from Leghorn !” said Da seemed to put him and the Countess on a footing | Vere: “there can be no duubt uf it! Ke bears of more friendly familiarity than they were be- the intelligence of the atterapted landing, and he fore. conveys peremptory mandates in reference ty the “And now,” said Charies at length, “I think cxamination of passports!” that I am thoroughly proficient, and that when | “We could scarcely hope to escape without en- next the passports are asked for, | shall be enabled | countering some perils,” said the Countess di Mi- to give the proper reply in a manner that will ex- lazzo, with a tone and look that were alike replete Cite Do suspicion.” with fortitude and encouragement. ‘“ Oaly re- He huppened to glance towards the Princess di| member your lesson, signor—and perhaps every- Spartivento as he thus spoke; and he was startied | thing will go well !” by the look which she was bending upon him at; “Ab!” said Do Vere: “but if that messenger the moment. She also had raised her veil; aad /should give such information as may convince the Charles saw that hor countenance was pale as if| authorities that I am of travelling with des- with a deep inward concentrated rage: ber eyes | patches from the Governor of Leghorn - ; appeared to burn like red-bot cindors, and to shuvt Or if our escape shall have been discovered,” forth sinister fires, At that instant she was a interjected the Princess Spartivento, “it will be on plete personification of jealous fury. But only destruction—death! Siynor,” she went on fo aay, for an instant |—her countenance changed ia the with a strange imperuonty, “ you had better thug Conniclooolks CO