Agnes Vol. 2 — page 129: what you’re looking at

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

‘Oe AGNES; OR, RIAUTY AND PLEASURE. 2Prlab amen Ewe hone emu ww ~ ~W . oe 8 EERE st ed 1 TUT eet Re agence means Fy eit —_ ee b oe ceey FQ ee ee wwe oeperens wetter ene ce seme a lotta!’ said Ciprina; “for if it really be in my “ Yes—faithfully promised. Oh, he is tho very power to advise or to assiet you, 1 will do it! soulof honour!” exclaimed Carlutta Belluno. “Of Come, let me help you towards imparting this this I have been convinced from the very outset of confidence—let me make a conjecture. You love our acquaintance: but I was nevertheless well Sir Alexander Holcroft P” | pleased to hear all the eulogies which you just “Yes—and he loves me in return,” replied the now passed upon him. Ab! it is impossible to blushing Carlotta. ‘“ He has offered to make me help loving him-~and he has said the same ® me his wife.” your father P” asked Ciprina. “ No—he has not dared: for I have told him | how useless it would be! My father detests the | English. Besides, he has promised my hand to : an old nobleman—a man who by his years might | ‘in his letters! Last night at this party-— “Has he demanded your hand in marriage of where, by the bye, there were some more English guesta—they ase travelling on their way from Ravenna to Florence, and they bave stopped for a few days at Bagno——lI will mention their names in case you should happen to know them. There wre the Hon. Hector and Mrs. Hard- be my great grandfather, Ah! is not this shock- | ress _ ing, my dear friend P” “Shocking!” echoed Ciprina. “Wou think, therefore, that your father would prove inexorable ?” “Ab!if you knew my father,” rejoined Car- lotta, “ you would not ask such a question! Yes —-he would prove inexorable—and he would over- whelm me with his anger! You see there- fure ” “I aee,” said Ciprina, “ that your parents are in total ignorance at least I presume the Sigoora Beliuno is vkus ignorant, as well as your father P” “ Yes—both wy parents. And I have not even revealed my Juve fur the Knglish Baronet, in the . coufesaional to Father Faleunara.” “Whtere did you first meet Sir Alexander ITol- croft ?” aeked Ciprina. “Ife has been staying for the last two months with one of the Isnylwh famihes to which I just nvw alluded, and who are settled at Bayno. It Ah, ‘Cicely! ejaculated Ciprina, with a look of surprise. “Yes—I know her:well—and hee husband Mr. Hardress tov.” “ And there is his sister the Hon. Miss Josephine Hardress,” continued Carlotta—“a sweet charm- ing young lady! Mrs. Hardress herself is a very fine woman. What a beautiful complexion! what | softness in her large blue eyes! what superb teeth! The only fault in her face fa that ber lips seem to be somewhat tov full, giving acertain prominency to the mouth . “Ah! but you are forgetting all your own nar- rative, my*dear friend !” interrupted Ciprina. “Pray pruceed. You just now said that time was precious ” ‘And heaven knows itis so!" responded Car- lotta emphatically. “ But L am eo b:-wilderad —so agitated —~and so cunfused yes, aud | am also ashamed to toll you-——f feel hualt-fright eno |.—~” seems that he had a very severe illuess in the ‘“ What! «ag you afraid of me?” asked Ciprina summer at Naples: bis physicians recommended reproachfully. ‘ Ifave I not vowed to serve you, him to court the Apeunine breezes—he had friends | if possible, to the utmost ?” at Bagno—and therefore he came hither. Ihave “Ob, 1 will tell you everything !’"’ cried the inet nim at parties id ‘young damsel, flinging ber arm round Ciprinn’s “Aud elsewhere perbaps, my dear Carlotta,” neck. “There is to be an afternoon conversazione said Ciprins, with an arch smile. “Lovers always to-day: it is to commence between one and two have their secret meetings—in some shady grove, | o'clock and Ah! my dear friend, last evening or on the bank of some pellucid stream ——” | Sir Alexander whispered some few words in my “I bave never once been alone with Sir Alex- | ear—they conveyed a request—and I gave an ander Holeroft,” replied Carlotta. “Ob! you. affirmative reply ———” would be amazed if you knew how completely i; “{ think I begin to understand,” said Ciprina, am the victim of parental despotism! My father who eaw that unlese she encouraged Carlotta to never permits me to pass out of the fortress alone. proceed, the explanations never would be finiahed, In this sense Lam almost as much a captive as ,—“ I think I begin to understand what the re- you yourself are! And think of the humiliation, | quest was to which your aflir:native answer was my dear friend !—if at this very moment I were | given. Sir Alexander Lfolcroft prupused an elupe- to go and present myself at the outer-gate of the ; ment?” castle—Ahb! would you believe it? that gate; Carlotta blushed a deeper scarlet than evor, as would remain closed against me! And yet I de- | she falteringly murmured, “ Yes—it was so.” clare to you most sulemnly that I have never done} “ Well,” continued Ciprina ; “ and now I suppose anything to provoke thie utter want of confidence ‘ something bas uccurre! tu derunge the plan?” vn the part of my parents !” ‘Alas, yes!” respuuded Carlotta. “ My father * But if you have had no opportunities of meet- and mother will not go to the couversazione, 1a ing Sir Alexander Holeroft alone,” said Ciprina, | consequence of the escape of the Enyish gentle- “you must at least have established some means} man-—they do not feel in @ buwour to mix io uf maintaining a correspondence with him P” | society " “Ab, yes,” said Carlotta, a deep blush mantling ; “And they will not suffer you to go alune?”’ "upon her countenanve. “ It was ne who arranged | said Ciprina inquiringly. that means of corépondence and Oh! he has; “I could no more proceed to that conversazione written me such beautiful letters! eo full of pru- | by myself,” replied the young dameel, “ than you, festations of luve yes, and su complimentary to | my dear friend, have a chance of crossing the cayself i” ‘threshold of the fortress within the next fivo “And he has promised tn espouse you?” said | minutes. Oh, is it not distressing ?”’ : (ipriua. “ But surely Sir Alexander Molcroft,” said 99 i : EOMmicoooks.c© inn