Agnes Vol. 2 — page 125: what you’re looking at

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

116 AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. sne should be most happy to see the holy father Charles was succeeding with Father Falconara, and oceasionally. She had learot from Charles, pre. | Was how long their captivity was likely to last. vious to their separation in the lobby, that he was i¢ possible that all bopo had died upon the thres- a friend of Father Faloonara’s; and she therefore encouraged the idea of being visited by the chap- lain, who she fancied might become the inater- mediary of communication between berself and our hero, In case measures for an escape cculd be hold? Ob, no! sbe could not bring her mind to the contemplation of anything so horrible! Ciprina was walking to and fro, when the gre- nadicr-Jooking matron suddenly made ber appeat-' ‘ance, and said, “ You must put down your veil, devised, or in case Charles might have any Lope- | ful tidings to convey tu her. Ciprina had not been long in her cell, when the door opened and Carlotta Belluno made her ap- pearance, It was the habit of the Governor’a wife or dauchter to visit the female prisuners at, least once every day; for Captain Belluno had a strict ider of discipline, and he thought that the ladies of Mis household had their duties to per- form as well nag himself. Carlotta hed heard that a wost beautiful young lady hed just been bruught | the top; and the osier-work waa go close together as a captive to the castle; und she was must anxious to eee her. render herself as agree.ble «as possible to the Governor's daughter; bu: Carlotta did not stay with her very long on the occasion ;—for she had to seek her own chamber and prepare a dress for a party that was to be piven in the evening by one of the English families resident at Buayno. Brief however though the interview was between the two young ladies, Carlutta was inepired with most* favoursble Opinion ot Ciprina; and ashe thought to herself, “ ‘This ia tbe first female pri- | eoner that I ever took the slightest liking to; and really she isa very pice young lady!” Ciprina took good care to: “mnyatery. Number Thirty ; ; for persons are about to enter the | yard,” Ciprina at once drew down the thick veil that was attached to her bonvet; almost immediately afterwards a large pair of folding-doors opened at the extremity of the yard—and two men entered, carrying an enormous basket slung toa pole which rested upon the right shoulder of each. It was a basket of the most solid and subst:ntial wicker- work — about five feet lung, tbree broad, and nearly four fect in depth. <A green baize covered that it was impossible to catch a glimpse of the contents of this immense basket: ba’ the appear- ance of the two men carrying it, all covered with flour as they were, afforded an immediate clue tu the solution of what would otherwise have beou This was the mode in which the bread, eontracted fur with a baker in Bagno, was brought thrice a day into the fortress. The folding-dours were closed; and the tv ' bearers of the huge basket pussed on tu the other extremity of the yard. There a dour opened into one of the store rovinse; and the two bakers, depo- siting their pannier close by that duvr, hastily Tater in the day Fathor Falecousra paid Ciprina proceeded to empty 16 of its contents,—each one a visit; but it was only ior a few minutes, and | for the purpose of bringing her three or four reli. | gious bouks, with ao intimation that when she bad perused them be had others in his library that were very much at her service. Se went out to walk in the yard; and perceiving a door stand- | Ing open on the side facing the array of cells, she ventured to look into the building with whieh it communicated, It was the chapel of the fortress. Suwe vlu woman wae cleaning Ue out; and Ciprina putered the sacced edifice. At firat she advanced | | tukiny up as maoy loaves as he cvuld carry and bearing them into the etere-roow, where he arranged them on the shelves; and thus the two men kept passing in aud vut of the sture until they had emptied their basket. Then they sat duwn tu rest themselves, und have a chat with the turnkey who was inside the store taking a note of the quantity of loaves delivered; and after a little while the two bakers slung the pole over their shoulders again, aud passed out of the fortress at i a much liyyhter pace than that by which they had with hesitation, for fear lest she should be in- ! truding; but the old woman told her that she was welcume to walk iu and lovk about, for the simple reasun that no other prisoner was there at the time. Most curivusly arranged was the in- terior of that chapel,—evory individual seat being BO partitioned that no one prisoner could behuid the reat—yet all could ubtain a view of the altar and the pulpit. We need not dwell any farther un this description, than for the mere purpose of sbserving that the model is adopted in sume of the chapels of the British prisons and peniten- liuries where the “separate system ” 1s observed. Returning into the yard, Ciprina walked to and fro in no very felicitous state of mind; four ashe was terribly uneasy im relercnce to Edgar Mar- cellin, and terribly vindictive avainet the Mar. thiuuess of Miranu, There was a time, be it re- membered, wheu she would have strained every nerve and gove Blmoust any length to screen the Marchioneas and induce Iidgar tu be merciful towards her: but now all this lenient feeling wae bauished truw her heart. Sbe only thought of the pnse treachery whjoh bad Leen played her ; and yhe yearned for revenye. She woudered how entered it. Ciprina witnessed this operation—a proeveding at which she would not have flung a second glauov if outside thuse walls; but in w state of captivity everything, however trivial, scems to be trauybt with novelty and amusement. Alter baving walked for about a couple of hours in the court-yard, Ciprina re-entered her cell, the grim-lvoking matron being in readiness to lock the door upon her, At about oight o'clock in the evening, she sought her pallet; and sv cumpletely exhausted was she after the fatizues and sleeplessness of the preceding night, that she almost immediately sank into the arms of sluusbur—nor was she awakened by the din and cunfusion which shortly afterwards prevailed in the fortress on accuunt of the escape of Charles De Vere. Meanwhile Carlotta Belluno was with her father at the party; and she was enjoying herself all the mure especially because there was some ude present whom she very much liked to see, but towards whom she was compelled to ubserve the most guarded demeanuur every time she perceived the culd stern eyes of her father wandes.ng to- warde her, At lenth all of a sudden there was a ECORMEOOO® OY .S (CO