Agnes: A Tale of the Streets — page 84: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. occurred to him that such a proceeding would ; be characterized alike by a discourtesy and a cowardice the bare idea of which now all in a moment brought a burning blush to his cheeks. “ At all events,” he said, “JT will wait and havo a full explanation with her Highness, so that I may retreat with honour and propriety from these complications, whatsoever they be, wherein I find myself involved.” The sounds of joyous music now again rang through the spacious mansion, and came floating upon the ears of our hero in that retired apart- ment where he was now waiting. He listened ; and he could then distinctly catch the blending of many voices, male and female, in a chorus which was accompanied by that grand music. He was standing near the casement, which was partly open, listening to the concert, when a@ curious spectacle developed itself to his view. We should further observe that he was leaning against that casement, his countenance so turned that his looks commanded a view of the room, for he was waiting for the door to open for the expected reappearance of the Princess. In the centre of the apartment thero was a round table, covered with a superb scarlet cloth with a gold fringe that swept the floor. This table*begar to revolve slowly ; and Charles was smitten with amazement. He passed his hand across his eyes, and looked again. It was no illusion : the table was still moving by some unseen agency. Our hero sprang forward ; but he abruptly stopped snort—for the table, in passing gradually away from the centre of the room, was revealing a dark hole or black chasm. thereof a light flashed upwagd, blending with the rays of the perfumed lamp; and a female form gradually ascended to the view of our hero. Charles was lost in a bewildering wonderment— and all the more so when he perceived that the lady who thus revealed herself, was of a ravishing beauty. it instantaneously struck him that there was a cortain degree of resemblance between her and the Princess di Spartivento, so that they might possibly be sisters: but this lady who now emerged from the abysm, was throo or four years younger than her Highness. Her hair was not quite so dark—but it was moro redundant in its masses, which flowed over her shoulders. Her eyes wore large and bright ; an expression of sweetness and true feminine modesty was singularly blended with an air of settled firmness and decision. Her ap- parel was not an evening toilet: she woro one of those vests or waistcoats which were just then coming into fashion on the Continent: it was open at the bosom, which was however modestly covered with under-garments. er head-dress consisted only of the folds of a thick veil, which she had thrown back while emerging from the chasm—so that her charming face, onframed in the masees of her luxuriant hair, was at once revealed to our hero. In stature she was below the height of the Princess; and her figuro was modelled to more slender proportions. She carried a lamp in one hand—while with the other she held back the veil, the ample folds of which would have other- wise floated around her person. The appearance “OPbuch a being from such a place seemed to havo something pretorhuman in it ; and the whole pro- ceeding looked as if magic were at its source, 289 “ Be kind enough to follow me,” said the lady: and she spoke with a modest affability. Charles hesitated. Not that he mistrusted this fair creature or fancied that she was about to be- guile him into any danger—but because he dreaded lest the farther he plunged into all the mysteries that were developing themselves, the less easy would become his ultimate retreat. “Will you not follow me?” asked the lady, with an air of mingled surprise and remonstrance. “Bat, Ah! my sister perhaps may not have told you whom you might expect to become your guide. Tam the Countess di Milazzo. And now, signor, without another syllable be pleased to follow me.” Still Charlos hesitated; and he said, “ Would your ladyship favour me with your patient atten- tion for a few moments—and I will soon ex~ plain-——” * Not here! not here !” interrupted the Countess di Milazzo. “Everything you may havo to say must be told elaewhere, Come!” Confused and bewildered by all that was passing, and deeply anxious to bring matters to a crisis without any further delay, our hero began to fol- low the lady down a descent of stone steps which the opening in the floor disclosed, and up which she had in the first instance emerged to his viow. When they had descended about twenty of these steps, the Countess grasped a handle attached to a small wheel fixed against the wall of solid masonry; and as she turned the wheel, Charles became aware that the moveable part of tho floor on which the centre table stood in tho room above, was now closing overhead. When the process was Then from the depths | finished, the Countess continued her descent of the stone steps,—our hero following. To a consider- able distance was this descent continued, until a vaulted passage was reached, evidently in the very foundations of the mansion. Whither could the Countess bo conducting him? what did all this mean? and what would be tho issue of the adven- tureP Such were tho questions that Charles asked himself, but for the solution of which no surmiso afforded any clue. 2 At length the Countess di Milazzo stopped ata door at the end of the stone passage; and at this she knocked in a peculiar manner which instan- taneously reminded Charles of the way in which the guide who had conducted him to the Sparti- vento palaco bad knocked at the gardon gate. This understanding of a certain species of freee masonry which evidently prevailed with regard to secret warnings, signs, and modes of admission, only tended to confirm his suspicion that there was some deep political machinatiou on foot. The door was opened by a young man hand- somely apparelled and of genteel appearance. He bowed slightly but respectfully to the Countess, and stood aside for her to pass. She led on through a little stone vestibule, to an inner door which she opened; and she conducted Charles into a large vaulted apartment, where at tho first glance which ho now swept around him he beheld thirty or forty persons assembled. They were all of the male sex; and a profound silence reigned amongst them. They were seated on common forms or benches; and at a table in front of the conclave was placed a personage of distinguished appearance, and whom Charles to his amazement recognised to be the Marquis of Ortona. Our comiclsoolks CO