Agnes: A Tale of the Streets — page 139: what you’re looking at

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

ead in a secret drawer he found a scaled packet addressed simply, “To wy Hur.” The first impulse of the young Count was to hasten to Signor Palmas and show him the packet ; but the old notary at onco said, “You must not brenk that seal, my lord, in my presence, There is so wuch secrecy in respect to the way in which the packet wae disposed of, that it can only be for the eyes of the heir to glance over its contents. Re- turn, my lord, to the library ; and in the solitude thereuf ascertain what instructions your decessed benefactor has left you. If they bo of a secret character, breatho not anuther syllable on the sub- ject to me; and rest assured that [ shall ask your lordship no impertinent questions.” Charles accordingly aped back to the Jibrary; and locking himself in, he opened the packet. It contained @ letter addressed like the superscription on the envelope— To my heir;” and then fol- lowed theeo liues, written in the well-kaown hand of the Uount of Camerino :— ‘ “It is proper and needful that whosoever be- somes tho master of this mansion, ehould be ac- quainted with its mysteries. Inthe boudoir of the suite of Crimson Apartments, there is an immenso inirror which reaches to the floor, The gilt framo ia carved to represent wreaths and festvons of flowers as well as of vines laden with grapes. If yuu press hard upon the centre of the largo rose on the left-hand side of the frame, at the same time pressing upon tho lowest grape of the bunch nearest above that roae, the offect will be to make the entire mirror itself open as if it wero a door. I¢ is unnecessary to give directions in respect to the opening of this door frum inside of the passage with which it communicates, inasmuch as the spring is visible and easily discovered. ‘** But now to another point. In the back garden, tlose by the large conservatury, there isa summer- bouse, with a table standing in the middle. Louk anderneath: aud exactly facing the northern side of the sumwer-house, you will perceive what at firet appeare to be a large knot in the sulid leg of the table. Press upun it bard with the ball of the thumb—thbe table will turn round and reveal an opening. By these means you may reach tho sublerruaneane communicating with the staircase and passages leading to the mirror-contrived door, “<The mystery of these contrivances may sume day or another be serviceable: — who can tell ? Therefore let not the secret be lightly revealed ; but rather let it be treasured up in your own breast, to be confided only to those whom circum- stances way point out. Indeod, you must not suppose that you are now the sole depositor of this secret. It is known to several; but with them it is suf. If you understand my meaning, well and good: but if it be otherwise, you need nut by any meana seek tu jeurn it,” Such were the contents of the document which eo singularly fell into-the podsession of our hero. it bore uo signature; but as we have already suid, 1b was in the well-known handwriting of the late Qoant of Cawerino. Aad Charles did coupre- nend that nuobleman’s tmeauiny, ‘he subbter- vaneans, ertered by weans of an aperture disclused AGNES; OR, BBAUTY AND PLEASURE. him; and ne had recently experienced at the Spar- tivento Palace in Turin sufficient to enable“bim to understand why there were such hidden places in the mansion which had now become 2% own pro- perty. He was about to fold up the lettor, when his eye caught a direction at the buttom, to “ turn over ;” and he perceived that thero was writing on the other side. This ran in the fulldwing strain :—~ “Under the central stone in tho large subter- ranean hall, there is a tin box cotxaining a number of letters. To mo, so lung as I live, thoy are valuable, inasmuch as they were penned by the hande of patriots whose noble example inspires mo with additional courage and perseverance on fbo- half of the grand cause to which I bave devoted myself. But when I shall be no more, it will be- come neodless to preserve those letters: indeed it were more prudent to destroy them; for by an accident might their existence poasibly become known—and in this case they would compromico those whom I love and with whom I have acted. Therefore, to you, my heir, do I assign the task of destroying those documents within the shortest convenient, period after this packet shall havo fallon into your hands.” Wo need hardly inform our readere that Charles determined to obey the instructions of his bene- factor; and he resulved that in the silence of the ensuing night his visit should be paid to the sub- terranean. But while be wae reflecting on the subject, it occurred to him that the auite of Crim- son Apartments had been allotted to the Princess of Spartivento. It was therefore in her boudoir that tho mirror-door existed; but little did our bero think that she was already well acquaiutod with the mystery. “I will penetrate thither,” ho said to bimeelf, “by means of the entrance frum the summer- houee.” Lo locked up tho papers in the bureau, and de- scended from the library iutou the garden, that ho might inspect the particular summer-house to which allusion has just been made. Ife discovered the key to the secret spring; but he now pushed his iuveatigations no further, resorving them for the hours when darkness should be upon the scene. As he was now olad in bis mourning, Charles be- thought himeelf of the fulfilmeut of a duty which be owed to the memory of the deceased Cuunt ; and this was to visit the tomb which the Marquis of Ortona bad ordered to be raised over the resting-place of the departed in the church of tha adjacent town. Indeed the monutuent bad only been completed the day before ; and Charios had received an intimation to this effevt from Signor Palmas. Towards tho sacred edilice did he repair : the church duor stood open, for the sexton was engaged in sweeping it out, The munuweut was suvn found; and there stuud our hero for some moments, praying inwardly and with deepust do- votion fur the eternal welfare of bim to whom be was 80 much indebted, The sexton judged who he aust be by his mourning raiment and by his at- titudy at that tomb; and it bad moreover been rumoured through the town that the new Cuuant of ’Mucriou had arrived to take posseasiun of bid encate, The sexton waited till Charlea left the by a turpipg-table~all this was pot quite new to ' nexybboourwucd of the meuvuments thea the old Comiclboolk