Agnes: A Tale of the Streets — page 205: what you’re looking at

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

054 sacred character gives me to induce her to confess her iniquities.” “ Gothen, if you think that you will ‘anceeed, exclaimed Marcellin. “Go! But I fear that the errand will be a vain one.”’ “ Stop!” said Charles: ‘‘ may not this bo giving a warning to Lucrezia, showing her that the storm- cloud is about to burst?” “By this time,” interrupted Marcellin, “ Ramo- rino must know thet we have safe-conducts in our possession, and that his emissaries have therefore failad to arrest ys. Whatsoever is to be suspected, he now suspects, Father Falconara cannot pos- sibly do any harm iby seeing Lucrezia di Mirano ; and if by any eccident he should succeed in obtain- ing from her the acknowledgment that she is foully perjured, wy mind, will be so far set at rest. We all know,” added, the young Frenchman aside to De Vere, “ that the priests possess an immense in- fluence in thia country-~~particularly over women ; AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, “ Never mind how it happened!” cried the Minister: “it is all the samo! You are linked to me—you, the murderese !” A shriek pealed from Lucrezia’s lips. ‘Fou, the dabbler in poisons!” vociferated Ramorino. Another and louder scream rent the very wall. of the apartment. “¥iush!—or by heaven, I will do you a m 3- chief!” exclaimed her husband, ‘“ Would yu alarm the household? And yet, God knows yor} have enough to scream, and shriek, and wee . for, wretched woman !—for you are beprgared !” ‘“* Boggared?” echoed Lucrezia, ‘‘ What can you mean P” “XT mean that you are beggaréd!” responded her husband, as if with all the fierceness of a retort ‘‘Your property is confiscated! And what is more, Lucrezia! what is more—there is a warrant issued for your apprehénsion on account of your and who can fal} but that the wretched Lueresia | dealings with La Dolfina !” may confeas everything in the hope of being loni- ently dealt with ?” “ Bat what if, on the other hand, she were to take alarm and eacape ?” inquired De Vere. “Let us adopt measures to prevent such an occurrence,” rejoined Marcellin. ‘I will tell you how. “While Father Falconara proceeds to execute hia own proposal, we will hasten to the Minister of the Interior—we will convey tho intelligence that Lucresia is married to Ramorino—and it will fol- low that the warrant for her arrest may be at once executed, as there can be no possible noed fur the observance cf any fursher delicacy towards the imister.of Polico———I mean on tho part of his | vous quickness as she sprang up to her feet. aoearuy the Minister of the Interior.” ‘\ Be it as you propose,” said De Vere; “ and er all circumstances 1 wyself now incline to the opinion that the sooner the blow is struck thu better.” Father Falconara and the two young men issued forth from the British Embassy together ; but the priest soon separated from Charles and Edgar, and bent hiy way towards the private residenco of the Count of Ramorigo. To this functionary we must now return. We said at the close of the previous chapter that the clocks of Florence were proclaiming the hour of | midnight as the Count of Ramorino turned his steps homeward. Ie found Lucrezia in a state of | the utmost anxiety and suspense ; but it was no- thing calculated to reassure her that ltamorino bad to impart. On the contrary, fresh blows were now ' to strike the miserable woman. “ What have you done P” she asked, flying to- ! warda her husband the moment he entered the room whero she had been so anxiously awaiting ! him. “Oh! how sombre are your looks!” “Sombre ?” cchued the Mimistor fiercely. ‘ Is | i6 not enough to make my lovks sumbro—nuay, more, to madden me—to drive mo wild with “age 9? ‘‘ Rage!” oried Lucrezia. lemanded in affright. “ Rege !” thundered furth Rathorino,— rage it my eown accursed fully for having married rou Y? “Qh! are you about to reproach me ?” exclaimed uucregia, in a voice of rending appeal. “It was 106 1 who forced mysalf upon you!” “Vor what?” she “Save me! save me!” cried the wretched | womaa, falling upon her knee; in the presence of her husband, “ But O God! is this indeed true?” “It is true that a warrant of confiscation has been issued,” answered Rarmorino; “and as a matter of coyrso a warrant for your arrest must have been signed at the eame moment. uae, rise!—tears are useless! Useless also is it to appeal tome! IJ am a ruined man! —to-morrow all my honours and dignities will be taken from me! We shall both be plunged down into the very vortex of destruction unless indeed - “ Uniess what?’ demanded Lucrezia, with ner- “6 ] there a hope? What were you guing to say We shall be destroyed, unless ——” “Unless a miracle be wrought by heaven in sr favour,” replied the Minister of Police; “ and thut will not be done?” Lucresia sank down upon a chair, weeping and subbing bitterly. “Ob! [ must fly! I muat fly!’ she suddenly ejaculated, as she started up to her feet. “1 must depart !” | “Hfush! some one comes!” interrupted tho Count. Lucrezia ceased from her passionate cjacula- ‘tions; aud she turned aside to conceal her emo- tions as a domestic entered the apartment. “My lord,” said the Jacquey, “an officer of sbirri, to whom you entrusted sume special busi- neés - “T will come to him,” interrupted Ramorino : and he accordingly issued from the apartment. Proceeding to @ waiting-room, to which the officer had been shown, Ramorino at once anxiously | inquired, “ What tidings do you bring P” “The arrests could not be effected, my lord,” ‘answered tho functionary. “Not effected? To whom do you allude ?” de- manded the Count. “To De Vere and Marcellin,” sponse, “Why! what has happened P” ejaculated tho Minister. ‘ Your face is stained with bloud—you speak atrangely-——” “I have been cruelly maltreated, my lorc;” answered the sbirro, “by those two young men.” was the re- Con GDoOo CO