Agnes Vol. 2 — page 105: what you’re looking at

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

o¢6 * his Excellency for about haif-an-hour—at the ex- piration of which interval he was conducted toa suite of apartments, which he was requested to consider his own. Bernardo and Antonia were then summoned to Edgar's presence ; and he said to them, “Here you may remain — and here you are safe. It were better if you both kept within doors until you receive from me an intima- tion that you may breathe the fresh air again. I noed not inform you that on all those subjecte on which I have spoken to either of you, you must remain eilent when in conversation with any of the domestics in his Excellency’s establishment.” Bernardo and Antonia both promised to fulfil Edgar Marcellin’s bidding ; and he then dismissed them to the rooms which were provided for thoir Own reception. Now, be it recollected that all these incidents took place somewhat early in the morning of the day after the carrying-off of Charles De Vere and Ciprina ; so that it was by this time little more than half-past eleven o’clock in the forenoon, Edgar at once sallied farth, and took his way to the dwelling of La Dolfina. He rang at the bell; and that woman herself quickly answered the summons. Marcellin said that he wished to speak to her on particular business; and she con- ducted him up into that room which has already been described to the reader; but it was only a glance of contempt which Marcellin flung upon the grim-looking skeleton and all the other hor- rors that were accumulated in the apartment. La Dolfina, thinking that the handsome young stranger came to consult her on some subject in which her own special arts or avocations were in- terested, was proceeding with due gravity to seat herself at the table covered with black cloth; but Marcellin stopped her, saying, “No! wo may as well converse in the middle of the room, and without any recourse to those mummeries which I can assure you have no influence with mo.” La Dolfina flung upon him an uneasy glance ; for it took very little to trouble a conscience which for many. obvious reasons was never particularly at ite ease: but Marcellin at once exclaimed, “‘ I lie under an obligation to you--and I shall not willingly do you a mischief.” The woman felt reassured, and smiled—though she wondered how it was possible that the hand- some stranger could be indebted to her. “Yes—it is as 1 say,” he continued. “ Per- haps you know @ young lady who has visited you twice to procure salves and potions P” “Ah, yes!” ejaculated the woman. “ Salves and potions for a young gentleman who was dan- gerously wounded with a dagger ?”’ “Tam he,” said Marcellin; “and though not quite so strong as I was, vet sufficiently recovered, as you may perceive, to attend to the important matters which 1 have on hand. The young lady of whom I speak ” “The Signora Ciprina ?” ejaculated the woman. “Yes. And you informed her that the Mar- chioness di Mirano | a a customer of youre after a certain fashion?” “Qh, no, signor! vothing of the sort!” cried La Dolfina, now terribly affmghted. “Some con. fdential discourse did assuredly take place be- eween the Signora Ciprina and myself; but she aad no right in short, if sho dared say AGNES; OF, BEAUTY ANP PLEASURE. “ Woman,” interrupted Marcellin, “no evasions will serve with me; for I know everything !” “Then who are you, siguorP” asked La Dol- fina, evidently uncertain whether to regard bim as a friend or an enemy. “I am one whose life you saved twice,” was the response; “and therefore I am not ungrateful. Yes !—you saved my life by means of your salves and potions—and you saved it also by means of the antidote which you disposed of to the Signora Ciprina. However detestable the exercise of you avocations may in one sense be, yet I cannot for: got that in another sense your skill has been pfac- tised for a good purpose. You see, thereforc; that I bave no hostility against you—but that on the contrary, I come to serve you, and the same time to serve myself.” ° “Speak, signor,” said the woman. “TI am grateful for these assurances.” “Will you still deny,” resumed Marcellin, “that you sold poison to the Marchioness di Mirano ?” ie “Yea! that I must assuredly deny!” she an- swered, with a look of bardihood, which however lasted only for an instant, because the next mo- ment her glances quailed beneath the keen scru- tinizing gaze which the handsome cyea of Marcel- lin riveted upon her. “This is useless!” he exclaimed. ‘“ Behold! here is a phial which has been found in the desk of the Marchioness di Mirano! It still contains a amall quantity of fluid:—this fluid shall be analyzed—and I have no doubt it will he proved . ‘And let the chemists prove it to be pvison,” ejaculated the woman boldly,—‘‘ who shall dare say ‘twas I that sold it to the Marchioueas ?” “T say it,” responded Marcellin. “ Do you ro- quire a proofP It was enveloped in the outside of a Jetter addressed to yourself. Behold! here is that envelope! Now, who could have wrapped the bottle in this papere except you in whose pos- session that paper was?” La Dolfina trembled: she looked very much confused; and Marcellin ejaculated, “ Ail subter- fuge is vain! all falsehood is futile! The proofs are incontestable! I forgive you for seeking to screen yourself: but I shall not be any longer willing to vouchsafe this pardon unless you at once confess 7 | “And what, signor, do you mean to do ?” asked La Dolfina, now shaking asif with the palsy. “I mean to make the discovery available fur my own purposes,” rejoined Marcellin; “ but yet I will at the same time screen you. No!—not exactly screen you; but I will enable you to escape from the consequences of the explosion which must inevitably take place.” “Ab, signor! I perccivo that I am at your mercy,’ cried the woman. “ But, Oh! bow can you perform what you say?” ‘1 will do it,” rejoined Marcellin. “ Yes—I will save you, because you have twice saved my life; and on one of thuse cecasions you at the sand time saved the life of the Signora Ciprina! Come with me.” The woman looked frightened; but Marcellia poke some more reassuring words—-she accord- ingly put on her cleak and prepared to accom- pany him. OO @ SS ceo