Agnes Vol. 2 — page 126: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES; OR, BEAUTY ANID) PLEASURE. violent ringing at the gate of the house: some one wanted to apeuk immediately with the Guvernor. Captain Belluno hastened forth to the gate; and to his dismay learnt that a prisoner dad disap peared. Asa matter of course he decided upon returning instantaneously to the castle; and it was 117 strip him of his canonicals ~Oh! it was shocking! shocking |” “ Thank God he has escaped!” mentally ejacu- lated Ciprina: for though the matron bad not said so, yet she fully comprehended that such must be the case: and she could scarcely restrain sYgually as a oe s*cer of course that he took Car- ' jotta with him --but not before she had found ,time to exchange a few very interesting observa. the audible expression of her joyous emotions. © Yes—all this he did !—and the worst of it is | there’s no trace of him!” continued the female tions with a certain gentleman who was present. Indee® this little eulloguy took place while ber father, having bidden her prepare to depart, rushed out agaiu **- question the emissary at the gate. Now, with *he rost of the incidents of that evening the reader has alrendy been rendered well acquainted: but we will nevertheless pause for a mument to abserve, ere continuing our narrative, that when Carlotta found herself alone in her chamber, she saat down to reflect upon all that lad passed betwixt herself and that certain gentleman with whom she had exchanged such very interest- Ing ovservations, Yes—there Carlotta sat in her chamber— one hand supporting her countenance, tle other listlessly pfaying with her fan: and thus for perhaps half-an-hour she remained absorbed in thought, ere she began to disapparel herself tor the purpose of retiring to rest. That night passed ; aud as we have seen, Charles De Vere succeeded in making good his escape— und he becaune the guest of the quadroon in the beautiful secluded Apeunine valley. And through- mul that might of such memorable adventures Ci- pring slept without once awakening ; 80 that when she opened her eyes in the morning she was ut- terly uvsuspicious of anything unusual having occurred during the past twelve hours. At length the matreu cutered ; and she exclaimed in a voice which seemed boarsor than over, * Well, this 1s a pretty business! and to think that he should have dune such a thing!” “What do you mean ?” inquired Ciprina, start- ing up in ber pallet, but instuntuneously suspecting (het sie was about to receive sume intelligence with reference to De Vere. “Ah! «a nice young fellow, that Number Twenty-nine !” said the woman, in a voice which sounded exactly as if it were speaking through 4 bassoon, “ Perhaps you would like to play the sate trick? But you wall not, | can tell you! 1 hall keep au uncommon sharp look out upon you, Tiairty—I sball !” “ But what do you mean P” asked Ciprina, in the must painful suapense. “Now, do you mean to tell me that you did not hear all that noise during the early part of the night ?” demanded tbe woman: “ or it wasn’t the niybt at all—for it was last evening, very soon after you retired to bed. There was a trampling of horses, and hurrying and scurrying—and run- ning about hither and thither ” “ But what for ?” asked Ciprina. “I heard nothing of all this !—nothing, I ean assure you !” “ Well then, if you did not—and if you cannot guess But no! I daresay you are really igno- rant upon the point !—for of course it was a sudden thought on the part of the young man though if you yourself are a good and pious Catholic, you will confess that it was must abomi- nable go treat our dear young chaplain in such a way !—to stun him outright—bind and gag hin— | noretta— ——— ee ec ee ee ee eee turnkey. “The Governor is furious—the sig- nora ia dreadfully safflicted—and as tor the sige “The signoretta can perhaps spenk for herself, worthy Gudulla,” said a soft musical voieo from the doorway: and the door being pushed open, Curlotta Belluno made her appearance, “ It ia my father’s command that my mother and myself pay more than our usual heed tu the female pri- soners; and therefore I am making a round sume- what earlier than usual. Number Thirty,” she sxifl, but apeaking in a tone aa if it pained her thuy to address the beautiful Ciprina, “ I bupe you have slept well? Though you are a prisoner here, there is no desire tu persecute you ;”’—and she looked significantly towards Gudalia. ‘Thanks, sigporetta,” exclanned Ciprina, “ for these kind and encouraving words. But I ander~ stand that something bas occurred dunuy the bight i “ Ah! Gudulla has not told you?” ejaculated | Carlotta. ‘I have told Number Thirty a dozen times over,” said the basavon voiced wowac, “ tuat Num. ber Twenty-nine has eseaped.” “* Weill, well,” interjected Cariotta, “I am just going with my pass-key tu puep in on the other two femalo captives; and then I will return and pags ten minutes or a quarter uf ao bour with you, Number Thirty.” Carlotta glided out of tho cell; and on gaining the court-sard, ehe flung an anxivus plince to- wards the fulding-gates at the extremity. At that very Instant the gates opened ; and the two bakers appeared, with their immense basket sluoe tu the pole over their shoulders, as we bave already du seribed it. Carlotta’s countenance brivhtened up —her eyes swept their louks around—no one but the two bakers were in viow—and she sped to- wards them. Some few words were interchansred ; and then the fair Carlotta slipped a note inte the hands of one of the men, together with a picce of rooney, saying, “‘ Be sure you deliver it to wu the moment you leave the castle !’’ “Tout moment, signura!”’ waa the reply; and the baker consigned both the billet and the coi to his pocket, Almost immediately afterwards Carlotta Bul- luno returned to Ciprina’s cell, entering it oy ineans of the pass-key which she possessed. Toe beautiful prisoner, having risen from her paliet, was now performing her toilet ~at whien Cariotta goud-naturedly aasisted her, We should observe that Grudulla, the temale-turnkey, had retired, and the two young ladies were theretors alvue together, It is really true that Number Twenty-nine has effected bis escape,” said Carlotia. “I aia sure you will forgive me for yielding to the reyulanous of this fortress, and speaking of the esptives by numerals only—addrossing you alsv in the sawe ECORRICLO© OY CS CO