Agnes: A Tale of the Streets — page 77: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XLV. BCENES AT THE HOTEL, Wr must now return to Floribel—alias, Flora Lovel—whom we left at the moment when she had finished her afternoon toilet and had returned to her sitting-room to await the presence of Hector Hardress. The appointment she had given him was for three o'clock ; and functually at that hour he was announced, TFloribel was seated on the sofa, from which she rose with a scrious ex- pression of countenance to receive him: she did not proffer her hand—she merely inclined her head distantly—and she spoke not a word. The young patrician was ovidently not altogether prepared for such a reception as this ; and he exelaimed, “ Why such coolneas, beauteous Floribel P” “Permit me to reply by a question,” she said ; “and it shall be to ask you why you address me in theso terms of iutimacy P” “In one word,” rejoined Hector, “have you not comprehended that I love you, and that I have traced you all the way from Florence to Turin, to throw myself at your feet and declare my pas- pion ?” “When I left Florence, upwards of three weoks back,” replied Floribel, “Mrs. Hardress was in perfect good health; and I should think that if she had died in the interval you would at least be in mourning.” “It is my misfortuno to be married,” responded Hector; “and it bas been your misfortune to be deluced by a fulso marriage. Lesides, after all, aveording tu the report whieh generally prevails in Florence, the lovely Floribel when passing und+-r the name of Ciprina, was not very cruel ;— and pardon me for adding that this samo repurt avery that more than one was blessed with her favours,” “Not fora moment do I attempt to deny it,” rejoined that voluptuous personification of pleasure, who maintwined the most pertect self-possession : “Dut this is no reason wherefore I should recoive the visits of Mr. Wardress !” “ Neither would J so far insult you, Floribel, by advancing it ag a reason. I love you—und that is sufficient! Twelve days ago I left Florence in search of you: by some means—whicb I need not nuw pause to relate—I obtained a clue which made mo hope that I had got upon your track: I followed it up—1 was euccessful—and I am now here.” “And immediately upon your arrival,” said Fionbel, “you intrude upon tne privacy of my chamber in {@ manner, which—no matter what I may be—was, to say the leant of it, most ungen- tleman}y—most unhandsome !” “You speak harshly and severely, Floribel !” said Hector. “TIave I been wrong to entertain the hupe that if we met 1 might possibly bo en-; abled to render myself agreeable to you 2” “Perhaps you preaume, Mr, Hardress,” inter- | jected Floribel, “on the tact of having given me a ride in your travelling-carriage from the Apen-. ' nines to Florence? But surely such a poor miserable favour as that which you thus bestowed upon me, could scarcely justify you in your own. eyes ” AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. “No! no!” said Heetor, with a deep sense of humiliation: “I am not presuming on‘that ground, But I really did flatter myself that you would accept the homage of my lovo! Ah, start not, Floribel!—you are adorable! you ar® eminchiti; - beautiful!” “You are not the first who has told me this,” said Floribel, with a peculiar smile. “ You speak to me of Jove? In plain terms, Mr. Hardress—do you seok me as a mistress 2” “You know that Iam married, Floribel,’’ said Hector; “and enough has been already said be- tween us to show that while on the one hand you aro fully aware that I cannot woo you as a wife, I on the other hand have an equal consciousness that it is not tho first time you have been sought on terms which are not altogether consistent with the most prudish notions of morality. But pray be merciful towards me! Do you wish to see me at your feet ?” Let us come to the point, Mr. ITardress,” in- terrupted Fioribel. “ You seek me as a mistress, What terms have you to propose to me? Do you mean 4o abandon your wife on my account ?” “Tf it will smooth away any difficulties, Flori- bel, and ease your wind at all,” said Hector, —‘“ for wher I bethink me, it is quite pussible you may havo some compuuctions considoring that you were acquainted with Cicely before 1 marricd her and that she was a friend of yours ” “Well, sir, proceed. How do you mean to ease my conscience 7” “Of course what I am poing to tell you is sacred between us,” observed lector: “but my wife and I have come to a thorough understanding ' “Ab, indeed !” ejaculated Kioribel. “ And what a pleasant understanding this wuat be!”-—then being smitten with ao feeling of curiusity, she en- couraged her visitor tou proceed by means of a sweet smile, at the same time saying, “ Do tell mo all thie, Mr. Hardrees; because unless you admit me fully into your confidence, I shall not’ possibly know how todecide upon the point, Cicely, you tell me, has come to an understanding with you P” *“Yes—a most amicable understanding; and henceforth we are both to do exactly xs we jike,— I to follow my course—she to pursue her's.” “Ah! this isindeed interesting !” said Floribel; and still more encouraging became ler asamile. “Do you mean me to understand, Hectur——I[ beg your pardon, Mr. Hardress ———” For beaven’s suke recall not the word!” ejacu- lated the young patrician, drawing bis chair closor to the lady: fur he felt as if she had thrown out his Christian name at him as an avuwal that she was yielding after a due period of prudish hesita- tion. “Well then, I will call you Hector,” she said, onveloping him for a moment as it were in tho luminousness of hor bewitching regards. “ Lut this arrangement which you have effected with your wife,—do you mean me to understand that _ you have pusitively agreed between you that while you may take a mistress, ahe is at liberty to take a lover P” “Strange as it may appear, this is precisely what I do mean,’ answered Hector, devouring her witb his looks. a “Oh, then, you are almost as good as free to ‘ court me in this sense?” exclaimed Floribel. 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