Agnes Vol. 2 — page 117: what you’re looking at

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

108 presented to mo ae having behaved so nobly and forbearingly when giving his evidence on that me- morable trial where the life of my husband’s cousin was at stake! But how came you, Mr. De Vere, to know so many particulars——”’ “Has not the name of a young lady in England ever been mentioned in your hearing! I mean, Miss Evelyn.” “Yes!” exclaimed the quadroon. “I have heerd, through my husband, how Misa Evelyn be- haved eo kindly to Winifred———~” “ And to that Miss Evelyn is my heart devoted,” rejoined Charles; “and in her letters to me she has frequently spoken of Winifred—and she has told me how Winifred’s oousin, Gustavus, had married a young West Indian lady.” ' “ And, Oh! is not this extraordinary,” cried the quadroon, “ that you should fall in with me in the midat of this Apennine seclusion? I feel as if we were old acquaintances, Mr. De Vere!” “ And I shall never forget,” returned our hero enthusiastically, “the generous huspitality which I have experienced beneath your roof. Perhaps you know that I belong to the British Embassy at Naples? But no—you wero not aware of | “Yos—on the contrary,” interjected Emily, “I mow remember to have heard so, But how, in the name-.of heaven, came you to be involved in such frightful dilemmas ?” “A few words of explanation will suffice,” ro- sponded our hero, ‘to prove to you that I am in- nucent ” “Oh! that I knew from the outset !” exclaimed the quadroun. “ Did I not tell you so last night at the gate ? Yes !” she added, while a blush flitted over her handsome countenance ; “ your looks were sufficient to prove that you were incapablo of a misdeed ” ‘“And your good opinion of me is not unwar. ranted,” rejoined Charles. ‘Certain affairs—of which the world will doubtless soon hear more— compelled mie to visit Florence. Scarcely had arrived there, whon I was seized upon—it was by errur—I was mistaken for another—and burried off to captivity at Bagno. Thence I escaped in the unifurm of the Governor. The tale ie nuw tou long to tell you——” “ You shall tell it me presently,” cxcluimed the quadroon,—“ at least if you think fit.’’ “Ob, yes! after all your kindness I can havo no secrets from you! But your busband, madam —oexcuso me for again alluding to him but may I hope to have the pleasure of seeing bim P” “ ¥ce-——assuredly,” rejoined Emily: “ you will see him presently. He will not risu to breakfast. Dh ! be will be astonished when he hears that a iriend—for eo indeed under ail circumstances 1 oust call you 7 “Pray let me be considered as such!” inter- ected Charles. “ And now pardon wy selfishness —but bave you any reason tu believe that my pre- wove here is sue ‘ by the police of this dis- riet P? ° " “Not the elightest reason! I have epoken to he servante—the groom is fidelity pereouified— ud you need fear nothing. I preaume that your ‘ane are already settled P”’ “Lo return to Floreace without delay,” an- AGNES; OR, DEAUTY AND PLEASURE, awered our hero. “Do not start, madam! I trust that I shall now ineur no dangor thwre: it will only be while journeying thither, and before I can seck the protection of the British Embassy at that capital, that my safety may be imperilled.” “Well,” said the quadrovn, “we must pre- sently devise some scheme to ensure you a safo journey to Florence. Perhaps you are not in a hurry for an bour or two P” “T would much rather adopt cautious and pru- dential measures,” responded Charles, “than wil- fully court peril by rashness or precipitation. Besides, I feel so comfortable beneath your hospi- table roof, that it would be most uncourteous and churlish on my part to express a desiro to hasten away” ‘Now lat us broakfast,” said Emily, acknow- ledging with an amiable smilo and a graceful bow the courteous compliment which had just fallen from our bero’s lips. “You will pardon me,” said Charlea’, when they were seated at table, “fur remgrking that the two portraits in the chamber where I slept last night, bear a striking resemblance ——”’ “ Do you think so?” asked Emily, witb a emilo and a blusb. “It is impossible to think otherwise,” returned De Vere. “It was an artist of no ordinary skij]--—’’ “Qh, pray ceaso your compliments, Mr. De Vere!” exclaimed tho quadroon ; “ or you will re- tain the colour incessantly upon my cheeks !’’ “Am I to undorstand,” asked Charles, with some depree of surprise, “that it was your own pencil which delineated those likenessos of your- self P” “ My own pencil,” rejoined the quadroon, “ Ah! perhaps you think me very vain and concoited for choosing such subjects: but one day tho humour touk me—I wished to depict a tuntrast Indoed, Mr. De Vere,” she added ‘ufter a brief pause, and in a more serious tone, “I wanted to analyze my own feelings, and ask wyself whether I was happier as Emily Pinnock in my own native Jamaica, with wy straw hat, my loose dress, and my basket of fruit—or as Mrs. Barrington, bedecked with gems and jewels in Eurupe, and studying all the Pari- sian fashions.” This was too delicate a subject for Charles Do Vere to venture an observation upon, inasmuch as it seemed to involve the puint whether the qua. droon were bappicr in a singlo or in a wedded state; and he could not help thinking that it was a tupic which ought not to have been broached to him at all. HEwily seemed to fathom what was passing in his mind; for sho at once suid, “ f should not allude to this point, Mr. Do Vere, did it not help me on towards the explanations which I owe you on account of last night. Nay, do not nterrupt me!—for my own sake I must insist upon giving them.” The quadroon spoke so earnestly and entrout- ingly that our bero felt himself buund, as it were, to listen to her; and morevver, io her position uf his hostess, she evidently had a right to rule and dyect the conversation. Charles therefore hold us peace ; and Emily continued in tho following manner >— ‘Suller me to assure you at the very vuteot, Mr. Dv Vere, that I love wy husband. Yeus !—I OOO) COMIC CS