Agnes: A Tale of the Streets — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

870 eyes began to closo: then they opened again; and after a little whilo, he said, “ Perdition take it, Voitura!—but I do not like to goto sleep! I havo a presentimont of some evil!” * Indeed P” gaid Stefano. “ Do you droad an irruption of the Siennese sbirri? If so, shall we extinguish the light P” “No,” responded Reguso. “In case of danger we muet see who our enemies are, and the best mode of dealing with them. I daresay it is all a stupid fancy on my part.” “Yes: and you should conquer it,” rejoined Voitura. “I will be vigilant--my ears and my cyes are sharp———” “Good!” said Raguso. sleep.” He again closed his eyea; and Voitura thought within himsolf, “ He has a presentiment, but it points not to me/ He suepects me not!” In a few minutes he felt eonvinced that Raguso slept :—but not for nearly half-an-hour did he movo from the spot where he had planted himself: -—he watched the countepanges of hig two male companions. At length he theught that tho time for action had arrived. He stole towards the niche where the portmanteau wes deposited ; and he took out of it one of the flasks—at the samo time dexterously elipping off the lepthern strap by which tho haversack itself might ke slung over tho shoulder. Ie concealed the strep under his coat : but the flask he kept in bis hand, and applied to his lips, so that if Reguso should happen to open his eyes, he might fancy that the portmanteau had merely been visited for the sake of the flask. Raguso’s eyes however continued closed: and Voitura thought to himeelf, “He is not so ready in awakening as ho fiettered himself that be should be! He doubtless drank too much of the atrong spirit !” Voitura now proceeded to get the strap into such order that, by the aid of the buckle, it served as arunpning noose. His back was turned towards Raguso during the few moments that he was thus occupied ; and when he looked towards him again, he felt certain that ho still slept. The moment for action was now come; and Voitura made a significant gesture; for though he could not see the Princess in the darkness of the cavern’s cxtremity, he knew full well she on the other hand might watch all his proceedings, as he stood within the range of the lantern’s beams. It struck him that the significant gesture ho had just given, was acknowledged by a slight rustling of the dried leaves at the end of the vault. Slowly and cautiously he shifted his position in such a way as to bring himself nearcr to Raguso, who was sleeping with his two hands joined together and resting upon his lap. Quick as the eye can wink, Stefano Voitura throw the noose of the strap over the two handg—pulled it tight—and at the same instant flung himself upon Raguso in such a way that his knee rested against his chest ~—and the man was poworless. Villain!” he exclaimed, his eyes literally flam- ing as they opened up into Voitura’s counte- nance. . . “ What's that ?—an alarm !” exclaimed Spezzi, starting up to his fect. “ Dare not to lay a hand upon a pistol,” vocife- rated Voitura, “or you are a dead man !”—and “I will endeavour to AGNES; OF, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. ho was now levelling his own pistolat him, while holding Raguso powerless in the manner already described. “You must surrender!” said tho voico of the Princess, now speaking in Spezzi’s ear; and the point of a poniard simultaneously pricked his throat. “Coward !” exclaimed Raguso, seeing that Spezzi was so utterly dismayed and bewildered that ho seemed as if his very sonecs had aban- doned him. “Bi ence!—or I'll blow your brains out!” and the muzzle of Voitura’s pistol was now applied to the brow of the prostrate BRaguso. “ Priaccss, look to your man!” “Perdition !” suddonly ejaculated Spezzi: and springing back, he drow a pistol from the breast of his coat; but the next instant the arm which held it was struck upwards—the pistol exploded— and Bianca’s poniard was stricken deep down into the heart of her antagonist. At that very same moment Raguso, with one stupendous effort, accompanied with a yell of fierce vindictive hate, hurled Voitura away from him, even at the risk of tho pistol that was held against his brow sending its contents into his brain. Another instantaye, even in the twinkling of an eye, Raguso burst the leathern strap which con- fined his wrist; and seizing the pistol from Voi- tura’s grasp, he dealt him one terrific blow with the butt-ond upon tho skull, which crashed audibly and fearfully, the sound mingling with the last moan of the victim, But everything was now taking place with lightning rapidity, and ono tragedy was fullowed by another almost as quickly as thought succeeds thought in the human brain. For down came the blood-stained poniard grasped by the Princess !—down it came, that woapon which had just drunk the tife- blood of Spezzi!—and degn it plunged into the back of Ragueo. Precisely bo- tween the shoulders penetrated the dagger, to which @ horrible senee@ of denger and desperation imparted a tremendoue impetus; and it was also with a single moan, ae in the caee of Voitura an instant before, that Raguso rolled over, a corpse ! And now all was accomplished !—and the Prin- cess remained the victress on that hideous arena of battle. Three corpses lay at her feet: two had fallen beneath the dagger which she_horself wielded—aund the third had parted from life in a cause that had taken its origin in her own mis- deeds. There—in that loncly spot, amidst the crove-embowered ruins of the ancient castle, in a vaulé which might have served ag a sepulchre— itood that woman whose soul had already becn itained with crimes, but who now had added dark treacheries and foul murders to her preceding ini- quities! I'or a few moments it seemed too as if ihe had just awakened from the midst of a hideous and appalling dream: but not long did she romain ransfixed thero, with all the purposes of her mind wrapped up in the spectacle whereon her looks were riveted. Sho remembered what there was to bedone! Furst of all, stooping down, sho felt in Raguao’s pockuts, and speedily found the koy belonging to the iron box. This she opened; and thence she took forth the correspondence to ibtain which all the details of the recent tragedy had been enacted. It was however with mingled caution, carefulness, and terror, that Bianca comicbaoo S CO inn