Agnes Vol. 2 — page 43: what you’re looking at

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

a Cipriua would betray her fatal secret or take the slightest step to do her an injury: but on tke other hand arose the bewildering question —~ © Will Ciprina’s influence avail to put a seal upon ““*the lips of Edgar Marcellin P” _ “No—it is not probable!” thought the Mar- ehioness within herself. “ Kdger muet know that I have accused him—and if he live, he will do everything he can to vindicate himeelf and briog the guilt home to me! And who can toll to what extent he may possess proofs against me P! . | mioutea the Marchioness dit Mirano reached that {Those words—thoso terrible words which he re- peated! Yes—they were indeed from my lips!! I rerembee that [ addressed them, 10 agony of mind, to the portrait of Lucrezia Borgia, within a few days after the vengeance that 1 wreaked upon Giulio! How, in heaven’s name, could those words have become known to Edgar Marcellin? who could have overheard them? who could have repeated ther P” And asthe Marchioness asked herself these questions, her mind was enduring a perfect agony of tewilderment and of terror. “But no matter!” she mentally ejaculated, thus resuming the train of her perturbed reflec- tions: “conjecture is useless!—it is sufficient for me to know that in Edgar Marcellin { have an accuser who may perhaps be enabled to over. whelos me with the weight of evidence! Aud can I suppose that he will place a seal upon his lips at Ciprina’s bidding P No! -J dare not indulge in wy a hope! Put, Ah! have IJ not the means of ascertaining what takes placo between thera go econ an hoa shall have recovered the power of specch-~if he ever do recover it? There ia for mo the grand chauce that be-may die! But Ob! what if he should live P” An expression of illimitabhe, terror passed over tho featurcs of the Marehioneko as imagination torturingly and hideously picturtl the expusure of her crime—her arrest—the wonder and ecorn of tho world—the triumph of her rivals—the hor- rors of a prison—the branding shame of a public trin!—and the evony of the scaffold! “My God! my God!” she muriaured to her. eelf, es sho wrung her bands; “I must do every- thing——Oh, yes! I must do everything to avert this hideous catastrophe!” Liucreziu di Murano sat reflecting for a little longer in her boudvir; and she presently asked herself, “ Why does not Ciprina come to me, it only for a moment ?—why does she not send some mesapye to prove that she remembers the pledge ahe gave me last night that she sould never betray me, but that if I were guilty she would do all she could to shield and protect meP ITs it possible that her sentiments can be changingP At! per. haps Edgar Marceilin may have recovered the faculty of specci:? —and who can tell what things he toay have been enabled to reveal to the ears of CiprinoP? Ah! fool that ] was not to have been ere now upon the watch! © Just heaven! is mine a predicament which can afford to throw away a single chance or Jose the slightest favourable oppor- tunity P” Luerezia di yo quitted the boudoir; and passing out upon the landing, descended that pri vate staircase which his already been several times mentioned ,in the course of this narrative, On ti — eee Js ne PE PS oo” ity a ae oe re SD AOD over him; the Marchioness did not fear that AGNES; OR, BBAUTY AND PLEASURE. ee reaching the vestibule at tho bottom, the Mar- chioness passed out into the etable-yard. If she had been observed by any menial, she would have pretended that she came to see and caress hor favourite horse: but as no one saw her, she bant her steps rapidly towards a little low door deeply set in the aolid brickwork forming tho basement. part of the mansion. A key which sle had in readiness at once opened the door:—she closed it behind her, and began ascending a spiral stone staircase leading upward ina circular form like the steps in a church-steeple. And now in a few Darrow pxssage which existed in the thickness of one of the partition walls. Nw light could pene- trato Into that place, and Lucrezia bad brought no lamp: buat she cautiously groped her way. She had occasionally visited the mysterious corridor through curiosity, and she ctuld therefore estimate its length. She knew there was no danger of stumbling over any object or encountering any obstacle: but the great point of requisite caution was to avoid coming noisily in contact with the wainscot-door at the extremity. Lucrezia there. fore felt her way with the utmost carefulness; and presently her hand gently encountered the wooden barrier which closed the passage at that farthor end. Lucrezia listened against the door; and just at that moment she heard Ciprina bidding Antonia leave the suite of apartments for the present, and only returo when sbe should hear the summons of* the bell, Thon the Marchioness heard the outer door close: she heard likewise Ciprina lock i¢ inside, ** She is determined to be altogether alone with the invalid,” thought the Marchioness to herself. * Perhaps they are about to converse together P~ and she seeks to render the place secure against eavesdroppers P Ab, well! we shall see 1” The Marcl.ionesa heard Ciprina recrogs the ante- chamber from the door yhich she had just been fastening, and penetraté into the boudoir. Then all was silent. Vainly did Lucrezia listen with suspende breath: she could not catch the slightest tone of a human voice. “Ah!” ahe thought within hereelf, in a humour of bitterest vexation, “if they be in the innermost room together, I may fruitleesly tarry here to listen! Dare I open this door? ‘The attempt will be desperate !~it may lead to discovery ! And yet there is no alternative !” Having come to this decision, the Marchioness cautiously felt for an iron knob which she knew to constitute a communication with a secret spring ; and the door at once yielded to its influence, opening slightly inward. Again tho Mdafeuioness listened with suspended breath. Now sho did catch the sound of a human voice—and she recog. nised it to be Ciprina’s. Then Edgar Marcellin spoke : but still Luer: aia di Mirano was ton far off to catch the seuse of what was said by either. “« They are in one of the farther rooms !’ she thought to herself ; “and it is not froin this point that I shall be enabled to overhear anything! A still bolder step than that of oponing tbe door must be taken |” And now the Marchioness opencd the secret door to its full width: and stealing across the threshold, she entered the ante-chamber. Thence COMICDOOKS. COM