Agnes: A Tale of the Streets — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES; OB, BEAUTY AND PLKASURR. would have been an arrest—a disturbance ! — he would certainly have captured her at avy risk and peril to himself; for never, with bis high notions propriety and honour, would he have allowed her toy remain concealed beneath his roof! And he wot ld have spoken of the circumstance; for that woul’ have been sumething that he would not have considéred himself bound to hide. Or he would bave secretly consulted Palmas—they would have been closeted together! But nothing of all this bas happened ; and therefore La Dolfina is atill safe in ber hiding-place, Besides, ’tis evident from what Voitura said, that Charles went only to the subterranean to assure himself that the private correspondence was safely concealed there; and doubtless on regaining his senses after that blow that he received, he was only too glad to hasten back to his own apartment. But Ah! why should I not deacend into the subterranean and ascertain for myself, beyond mere conjecture, thet La Dulfina is safe, and that she is progressing well with the task that she has taken in hand ?” Yet though the Princess mentally put this ques- _tion to herself, she did not move from the sofa :— on the contrary, she felt her soul recoiling from the bare idea of seeking that detestable weman amidat the deep silence and awful gloom of the vaults be- neath the mansion. The daring courage of Bianca dissolved at the thought of finding herself face to face with that wretch who dealt with such a hide- ous skill in subtle poisons. The Princess might have faced a lion if need had been: but she could not bring herself to penetrate voluntarily into a morass where a venomous reptile was gliding. Though prepared in tbe depths of ber own soul to commit the darkest crimes, yet Bianca shuddered at the image of the woman whom she had invoked to assist her in that pathway of turpitude. “No!” she said to herself; “I will not go! Who can tell what such a fiend-like creature may do to me? Besides, it ig but a matter of a teow hours, and I shall know whether I bavo anything to look for in that quarter or not. What were her wordsP That when I seek my boudoir for the dinner-toilet, 1] shall find the pbial upon the table. Well and good! If it be there, all will have gone well with her: but if it be sot there, it will then be time enough for me to ascertain what bas be- come of her.” Such were the reflections of the Princess of Spartivento with regard to La Dolfina; and then, as the impassioned woman pressed her bands to her throbbing brows, she mentally apostrophized our young bero in terms that were fully consistent with the agitated condition of her feelings. “Ob, beautiful youth! why were we ever des- tined to meet? Why wero you so suddenly thrown into my path?—was it to be unto mea source of happiness or misery? Wuat may I now expect P Ob, this love uf mine! how ficrce and yet how tender!—how strong is it in itself, and yet what a weakness is it! QO Charles! shall I ever clasp thee in theeg arme? will thy head ever be pillowed upon this breast P will thy lips ever meet mine? D I bope to inspire thee with one scintillatiOn of that mighty flame of passion which burns rad rages with volcanic fury in the depths of my own bosom? or art thou too deeply enamoured of Lugia? No, no! it is impossible that you can pretoy the sentimental Lucia to wy impassioned 323 self! It is but the delusion of the moment under which thou art labouring! At all events let me think that Ican yet bring thee to love me, Without that hope I should die! — without that idea I should swallow the poisun which I intend for another L’ Then the Princess—closing hor eyes, and placing her hands over them, as if bermetically to seal them in such a way that ashe might ehut out all external objects —abandoned herself to delicivus and luxurious thoughts,—vziving full scope to her imagination, and buoying up her fancy with the idea that every obstacle had been set aside and that she was now happy in the possession of the young Englishman’s love. But suddenly an idea struck her; and starting up from the sofa, with a dead pallor upon ber countenance, she ejaculated, “ Good beavens! what will he think when he beholds her whom ho now loves falling dead at his feet? Will he believe that it was apoplexy ? or will be suspect foul play P No-—it is impossible that he can supposo me capable of such a crime! Impossible! And I will tell him that it is in consequenco of all the excitement through which my pvor eister bas re- cently passed—and I will shed torrents of tears Oh, I will dissemble ! And then, to be alone beneath this roof with Charles—without a rival— in full freedom to practise all a woman's wiles and blandishments towards him—Oh! is it possible that I can fail? Must I not succeed ? must I not conquer? and must not he succumb? Am I not grandly handsome? If the image of my sister cannot be banished from his memory by the actual presence of such a face and fourm as these”’—and she was now contemplating berself in the mirror —‘‘then may it be said that never yet was there a veritable spell in woman’s beauty! Qh, yoa! I shall succeed!—I shall auceced! But if not P = Al! thon life will have nothing to induce me to cling to it!—the whole world will become a waste tu my contemplation—and deatb shall release me from my miseries! And not alone to the silent grave willl go! No!—for if he will not be miaa, he shall not live to become another’s !” Such a terrible expression swept over her coun- tenance as she came to this resolve, that she was absolutely frightened at ber own looks; and she abruptly turned away from tho mirror which re- flected them. ‘Then she threw herself again upon the sofa; and it was in the following channel that her thoughts next flowed :— “ How is it that I have become thus changed— and all in a few duys? Tou think that | whose virtue was 80 strong thet my very look @vorawed the libertine—to think that 1 who was never wont to harbour an impure thought—should now be ready--aye, and madly yearn to throw myself into the arms of this young man! To thiok that I who was so proud of my unblemished reputation, and who would sooner have perished than descend from the pedestal of purity even to win the favour of a King, should now be willing to become the mistress—aye, the slave of this Eoglish youth! Can love do ail this? has love that power? Qh, where are all the oaths that I have sworn on be- balf of the cause of Italian freedom P—~oatha that over and over again I have repeated in the pre- sence of the eflizy of my perisued husband? Where are they? Seattered to the winds!—and all by the potent wand of love! Ob, who shall talk of comicbaoo S