Agnes: A Tale of the Streets — page 28: what you’re looking at

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332 fallen from Floribel’s eyes! An bour elapsed be- fore sleep revisited our gentle heroine; and then all that had just occurred was enacted over again in her visions. She arose a little later than her usual hour, pele ani Gispirited: she hastened to Mrs. De Vere’s chamber, and told her what had ocourred. The worthy lady consoled her ae well as she was able; and presently Lord Ormsby and Charles were like- wise made acquainted with the incident of the preceding night. Need we'say that they were all greatly surprised and affected? And now, inas- much as Fioribel had so far prepared the mind of Agnes to receive whatsoever revelations were in stcre for her, it was deemed expedient by Lord Ormsby and the young Count that the veil of secrecy should be fully lifted from the antecedents of the erring girl, so that Agnes might not be some day fearfully shocked by the abrupt discovery that Floribel and Ciprina were one and the same pereon, For throughout Italy the name of Ci- prina was associated with that of the Marchioness di Mirano as an example of the utmost disso- luteness and profligacy. And thus Agnes now learnt the ead tale. She was deeply afflicted—and she wept bitterly. It was a blow to her happiness for the time being; but heaven be thanked! it was the owe drawback awidet many sources of bliss—and its effects soon passed off amidst the representations and the con- solings that were addressed to her by her father, her lover, and his mother. On examining the subterraneans, a door was found, open, in the hall of assembly, and the exist- ence of which had been previously unknown to our hero. It opened by means of a spring which could be touched on either side. It communicated with a staircase leading up to the chamber which had hitherto been ocoupied by Agn@. That cham- ber had a pancl-payer, and the mysterious door was exactly of the sie to fit one of the panels, all of which had nargvw raised borders of rosewood with thin gold be in »” It was thus easy for the existence of thet.$4e. to be concealed. Charles shuddered yen he thought of his beloved Agnes hnaviug™ been consigned to that chamber, to which any other person acquainted with the secret (and there were no doubt many amongst the political confederation that had once held its head-quarters there) might have pussibly ascended. He lost no time in setting masons to work throughout the subterranean region; and while the alterations were in progress, the young Cuunt set off to Flo. rence, in company with his mother, his intended bride, and her fatuer, that the nuptials might be solemnized in the chapel of the British Embassy in the Tuscan capital. CHAPTER LXVII. BOULOGNE-8SUR-MER. THE scene now shits to an hotel at Boulogne and the incidents we are about to relate are con- temporaveous with those which occupied the latter portion of the preceding chapter—that is to say, towards the middle of January, 1850. In a sitting- anertmant at that hotal tha Hon. Mra. Hardroan " AGNRB; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEACURE. was lounging upon a sofa in front of a fire of blazing logs; and she was giving way to her ree flections, although she held a book in her hand. I¢| was between two and three o'clock in the after- noon; and Cicely was alone. Let it be borne in mind that it was about seven weeks since we took leave of her in Florence, at the time when she had so signally failed in her libidinous overtures to- wards our hero. Presently, as Mrs. Hardross was still in the midst of her meditations, without paying the slightest heed to the book which she held ic” ber ) hand, the door suddenly opened, and her husband \ Hector made his appearance. That they had not met since they parted in Florence, after making that compact ao outrageously immoral, the read: may judge from the conversation which speed.) ensued. 1 “Ab, Hector!” ejaculated Cicely, giving hi ber hand, without offering to embrace him. “bh. you’ve come at last ?” : “Well,” he replied, “ did I not write and tell : you I would be at about this date at Boulogne P You must havo got that letter——” “To be sure,” answered Cicely; “or elso how would it be possible that I should now be here to meet you? But tell me, how have you fared ?” “ Baffled — beaten — utterly discomfited — and that’s the truth of it,” rejoined Hector. “I have been hunting everywhere for the fair one—but all to no purpose. I wrote and told you how I was put into prison at Turin a “ Yes—on account of your meeting with—with Do Vere,” interjected Cicely, a quick flush crossing her countenance. “But you were soon released— were you not ?” “Yes: and then Floribel had disappeared from the hote] where I first found her. De Vero had disappeared also: but the next day I receive’ a letter from him, telling me that if I still wished to receive satisfaction at his hands, I must return to Florence, where he should most probably be enabled to meet me in a fow days. His letter was cautiously and mysteriously worded :—and no wonder! for at that very time, you see, Cicely, he was engaged with the conspirators in the affair which subsequently made ao great @ noise through- out the world.” “What notice-did you take of his letter?” in- quired Mrs. Hardress: and again the quick flush crossed her countenance. “What notico did I take of it?” he ejaculated somewhat impatiently. “ Why, only a civil notice, to be sure! There wero two or three reasons. In the first place I stupidly let out to Floribel that you and I had made a certain compact; and as a matter of course I felt assured that she would tell De Vere everything that passed between us. Well, then I received your letter which expressed no very kind feeling towards De Vere; so that I per- fectly understood therefrom you had failed with him as I had failed with Floribel.” “Yes, yes,” said Ciccly ; and for a moment she bit her full rich lips almost until the blood came. “Proceed, Hector. You said there were two or three reasons ” , “There certainly was another—but apart from the reat it would bave had little weight with me. You see, Cicely, you asd I have both placed our- wlweea an anmniatale in that ennne fallng'’sa anwae comichboae® S CO