Agnes: A Tale of the Streets — page 66: what you’re looking at

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

4QGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, ; AAS | “We will sup together after the performances,’ copie? Holoroft ; “and then you shall havo the entire history.” Meanwhile the representation was proceeding ; the new actress made her debut, and was com- pletely successful. When the entertainments wore over, Floribel, the Baronet, and Carlotta returned to the hotel, where Sir Alexander Holeroft at once ordered supper to be served up in the sitting room occupied by himeelf and Carlotta; so that Floribel became their guest. When ample justice bad been done to the repast and the champagne had circulated, Floribel reminded the Baronet of his promise to give her the particulars of Carlotta’s esvape ; and he at once prepared to do so, “ You will laugh,” he said, “at the adventure which after all constitutes @ very appropriate sequence to your own romantic escape by means of the baker’s basket.” “You must begin by telling Madame Lovel,’ said Carlotta, “that after her escape my father was more than ever vigilant throughout the for- tress, as well as more than ever particular with regard to myself.” “I hope that you were not accuéed,” ster: jected Floribel, “of any complicity in my es- cape ?” “For a moment it seemed as if my father was inclined to suspect me,” responded Carlotta, “ be- cause it was of course known that I was with yon in the chapel. But I tuld my tale so well—and moreover it was so completely corroborated by Father Falconara himself—that all suspicion was averted from me and was directed towards Gudulla, But she also cleared berself; and thus the whole effair appeared to be enveloped in the deepest mystery, My father wae dreadfully frightened ; and he sent off the priest Fualconara to Florence, to represent everything to the Minister of Police and appease that functionary. Ab! little did we then think that the star ef the once all-powerful Count Ramorino was so soun to eet }” “TI knew that Father Falcunara was in Florence,” observed Floribel; “for Mr. De Vere saw him there.” , “And now,” said Sir Alexander Holcroft, “1 may enter upon the explanatiuns which you have requested me to give. Atter I had separated from you, Mrs. Lovel, on that day when I con- goed you to the care of the Hardress family, 1 wont back to the town of Bagno, wondering what on earth I was to do in order to effect the escape of my pretty Carlotta. I devised a thousand schemes, but was compelled to reject them all one after another. I could not even induce either of the bakers’ men to become the bearer of a letter into the fortress :—they declared that they dreaded lest they themselves should end by becoming pri- soners there. I know not how to act: I was al- most reduced to despair. lest Captain Belluno should discover, through the timidity of those juurneymen bakers, that I had been carrying on @& correspondence with his daughter—in which caso he would only have ex- ercised the greater vigilance over hor movements, { therefore thought that it would be perhaps more prudent for me to remove out of the neighbour- hood, et least for # short period; aud even at that moment I had gome general idea that I should do woll to return in a deep disguise, so that if apy I was even frightened | suspicion had been excited against me it z'ght not continue to act prejudicially to my aims.” “‘ You see, my dear Carlotta,” said Floribel—for Sir Alexander Holcroft was giving these explana- tiona in Italian,—* you see how resolute he was to overcome all obstacles, and therefore how strong was his affection for you !” “Yes—I know that he loves mo very much,” answered the amiable and confiding young lady. “Well,” resumed Sir Alexander HMolcroft, “a couple of days after your escape from tho fortress, Mrs. Lovel, I touk my departure from the tows of Bagno. I travelled in a postchaise, attended by my confidential valet, whom you saw on the occasion to which I have ere now alluded—I mean that of your escape. We had journeyed sume fourteen or fifteen miles, when on reaching a little hamlet we saw a travelling carriage upset in the middle of tho road, and a group of persona gathered about if. An accident of serious nature had evidently occurred, for some of those persons were bearing tho form of a gentieman into tho little village hostelry. I drove up to the sput, and learnt that the chariot had upset with considerable violence in consequence of the breakiug of the fore-axle, and that the traveller who occupied the vehicle, was most seriously injured. Indeed, be was completely deprived of consciousness; and the village-surgeon, who was upon the spot, had at a first glance expressed his fears that the iviury eas. taipéd might prove very serious, if not absolutely fatal. I stopped at that hostelry, not merely to change horses, but also to learn some additicnal particulars in reference to the injured traveller, so that I might render any assistance that wa in my power. He bad a valet with him, and I proceeded to question this individual. Then, to my su prise, I learnt that the injured traveller was a certain Count of Camerino, with whom I had some slight soquaintance a ccuple of years ago in Naples. lo had been engaged in @ political conspiracy; and there were subsequently all kinds of tragacal events connected with his wife and son. I now learnt that a free pardon had been granted to the Count of Camerino at the instance of some of his power- ful acquaintances, and that he was then on his way to Florence, where he was to meot sume very pur- ticular friend of his, a certain Marquis of Urtuna, who waa the boarer of the pardon signed by tho King of Naples. Such were the particulars which I learnt from the Count of Camerino’s valet; and while we were still conversing together, au- otber postchaiso drove up to ihe door of the hos- telry. Who sbould alight but Father Falconara ?” * Ab! now perbaps your story will begin tu con- nect itself with tho circumstances of Cerluttu’s escape from Bagno?” exclaimed Fluribel, with a emile: “ fur I certainly have been wondering what all these details about the Count of Camerino cuald possibly have to do with it.” ‘ You shall see,” answered the Baronoct. “I had sume elight knowledge of Father Falcon ra, and I at once accosted him, inasmuch as | svine- what suspected for what purpose ho bud been do- spatched from Bagno to ¥lurerice. ile told we that terrible things bad o¢yurred in the Tuscan capital, for that a certain Ma,ybioness whom Count Ramorino had married (#'alco himself oficiat- ing as the priest) had been exposed 8 olurderese and had perished miserably. He HkSigo made comicloeclk CO