Agnes: A Tale of the Streets — page 145: what you’re looking at

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

~~ 830 CHAPTER LVIII. AW ARRIVAL AT TIE MANSION. Ir may be easily supposed that our hero began to rcflect well and deliberately upon the various in- cidenta of the preceding night. That the Princess of Spartivento had purposed to avail herself of the hideous services of La Dolfina for some detest- able ubject, was only too apperent. She needed pvison for the purpose of wreaking a deadly ven- geance. “On whom P” asked our hero: and then, as he could not possibly fancy what ideas the Princess had conceived in reference to her sister and him- self, he naturally answered his own question by saying, “It is on me that she seeks to be avenged ! Yee—IF have wounded her pride—I have humi- liated the haughty woman—and it is for moe that she craves the possession of poison! But heaven has interposed to rescue me from her power, and to nave ker from committing another crime |” Then he reflected how he should proceed in the meatter,—whether he should at once accuse and upbraid her, and order ber to quit his mansion— or whether he should dissemble for awhile that he might make up his mind with more deliberation how he should act. At all events, he was deter- mired to satiefy himself if possible that there was no mistuke in bia conjecture, and that i¢ was voritably against his own life the vile creature had boen plotting. What was he to do with La Dolfina? Here was another subject for bewilderment. If he banded her over to justice, she would turn round and betray the part which he and the two ladies had taken in the landing at Leghorn. It was true that he himeelf might procure his own im- punity and pardon by claiming the benefit held out by the placard published in reference to the iniquitous woman: it wae also true that he had little reason to care for whatever might happen to the Princess of Spartivento :—but then there was the Countess of Milazzo, whom he esteemed and AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. Spartivento. But as he had made up hie mind to become convinced thoroughly of her iniquitous in- tentiuns towards himself, ere he tore the mask from her countenance, he etrained every nerve 40 | avoid the betrayal of deep execration he now “.x- perienced for her character. r The morning repast was acarcely over, hen & | footman entered the room to inform the young | Count that a gentleman wished to see him on par- | ticular business, Our hero proceeded to the apart+ ;ment to which the gentleman had been shown s , and though the whiskers and moustache, ae well | as the tuft upon the chin, had been close shaven, : yet Charles at oncs recognised the countenance of Signor Voitura. ‘“* What ! is it possible P you here!” ejaculated Charles, at once proffering his hand; for he had conceived a better opinion of Vajtura than of most . of the other conspirators. i “Yes—Iam come to claim your hospitality,” replied Stefano, “ until the storm blows over.” | « You are welcome,” responded Charles. “ What | tidings of the Marquis?” ' “Alas! my noble kinsman was severely wounded,” rejoined Voitura: “bat he was got safe on board the ship which made good its re- treat uninjured by tho cannon of the Castle. And so I have to congratulate you on succeeding te the t:tles and estatee of Camerino P” “Yes: an inheritance which Was most unlooked for |” answered our hero. “ But tell me, Signor Voitura—how is it thet you escaped not in the ship ?” “One of our boats got stranded—but it was fortunately under cover of a friendly Sardinian achooner ; and the soldiers who were pursuing us in other boats, lost sight of us. To be brief, we were landed at night-time, farther down the coasts and we made our way inte the interior of the country.” “Who were with you Charies. “ Spezsi — Adriano Colletti — Raguso — and another or two.” “ Ah, Raguso !”—but the momentary suspicion which arose in our hero’s mind, implicating in the boat P” inquired ! respected, whom he had vowed to love as a friend, | Voitura in the outrage of the preceding night, was and not one single hair of whose head would he : instantaneously dispelled by the calm collected ex- allow to be injured! Well then, he came to the | pression of frankness which the Itelian’s features conclusion that the affair of La Dolfina must also stand over for the present. But if the young Count of Camerino were thus on the une hand bewildered by his reflections, on the otber hand there were circumstances which iso caused him the utmost pain. The instruc- tions lett by hie deceased benefactor in reference wore. “ Did you keep together? or did you separate P” ; “Oh, we all dispersed and went different ways,” answered Voitura. “I came to this neighbour- hood—I heard that tho new Count of Oameriro had arrived with two ladies—and from the descrip- tion I received, I felt assured who they must be. to the contents of the tin box had not beon ful-: Then I resolved upon seeking your lordship’s hoa- filled. Nor could they be now accomplished ;— | pitality—which you have granted me.” and what was worse, 1t was impossible to say for what purpose Ragueo dnd his comrades had taken away the papers, or how an accident might cause publicity to be given to their contents. Charles felt however that he himself was not to be blamed in the matter, for that he had done his best, and he bad been frustrated by events over which he could not possibiy exercise any control. When the young Count of Camerino met tho ladies and Signor Palmas at the breakfast-table, he found it a hard task to dissemble bis sense of loathing and abborrence towards the Priucess of “Do you happen to be aware,” inquired Charles, after a pause, “whether there be any secret place of concealment attached to this mansion—or any- where in the neighbourhood ?” “1 have heard that there is,” responded Voi- tura: “TI think Ragueo or Spezzi told me sso—— but Iam not certain. At all events I cm ignorant of the secret itself.” “f rather think,” resumed Charlec. after another pause, during which he again roflected whether he should say any more or not, “.that [ .aw Signor Raguso last night-———” comicloeclk CO