Agnes Vol. 2 — page 45: what you’re looking at

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

&3 had she seemed more admirably boautiful to the eyes of Edgar Marcellin!—and he was at the mo- ment struck by the fact that there was something athercal in her loveliness—something that denoted tho sentiment independent of the senso-—the sub- ‘imation of fine feelings above a voluptuous prose- ness!) Then Marcellin again shut his eyes thathe might givo way to his reflections; for he could not at the moment address a syllable to Ciprina: he felt that if he did, he should inevitably betray to her the thoughts that wero passitg in his mind. idgar was a thorough man of the world, and un- derstood well the human heart. What, he asked himself, could have piven Ciprina that aspect for a moment P Did he not know that she was of a nature luxuriously sonsuous P—how then did her feutures shine with the radiance of a chaste and holy light-at that instant? <A littl: meditation suon cnabled him to solve tho mystery. Ciprina was learning to love him with a fueling that was now to herself !—loving him aa ono whom she had rescued from death—raised up as it wero from the dcad——and on whom therefore she would have an inmonse claim for the rest of his existence ! These refloctions troubled Iidgar Marcellin, and ho saw that when the timo for explanations should come, the taek would pruvo oven more painful tuan ho had at first anticipated. But let us pursue the thread of our narrative. Tt was near midnight—and still Ciprina sat by the couch of tlre pationt. Antonia had long be- fore been dismissed to her own chamber; and ‘refora the outer dvor of Ciprina’s suito of rodias was carefully sccured, Ivdzar Marcellin— who for the last two or threo hours had not been able to close his eyes in slumber again, on accuunt of the thoughts that were, occupying Lim—had nevertheleas pretended all Ke while to be asleep. Ife now slowly opened his ey, and he perceived that Ciprina’s lids were droopingéhoavily and that her head was reclining upon her Ygsow, as if sho were yielding to the irresistible influénce of drowsi- ness. Dut all ina moment she sturted, with that instinctive feeling which makes the watcher aware that the sick one who is watched iz lvoking up from the pillow :—and now Ciprina bent her re- gards all luminous wih lovo upon Kdgar Marcolliu. “You havo had a long sleep,’ she suid, in her most gentle accents: “ may I hopo that it has been refreshing ?” “Yes, Ciprina,” ho murmured: “ I feel now so ronuch better—you know not how much better I feel! And in a very few minutes I shall sink off into slumber again ” “Oh, I am “rejoiced to hear you speak thus hopefully!” murmured Ciprina. “But you, ty kind and affectionate nurse,” said Marcellin ; “ you must stand in need of rost P Ob! Tam sure you must! Pray do not tell me thati¢ is otherwise, Ciprina! Do I not know that the whule of last night was a sleepless one for you P—do I not know likewise that through- out thisday you have been harassed on my ac- count? In short, Ciprina, you must bo ready to sink with weariness; and if you pass this night without an hour's repose or rest, your strongth will fail you “Qh, fear not that it will be so!” exclaimed Ciprina. “So long as it is necessary to watch by your couch, will my energies endure i AGNES; OR, BEAUTY ANI PLEASURE. a “ No, my kind friend,” interrupted Mareellio, “it is now my turn to say that itis notso! J know what your inclination is: but your physical power is another thing. I beseech you, Ciprina, to take at least a few hours of repose! If you were to be enfeebled by theso vizils—if you wero to be thrown upon a bed of sickness—who would attend upon me P” Ciprina was struck by the truth convoyed by this quostion; and sho murmured to horsell, “ Yes, indeed! if 1 wore prostrated by exhaustion, who would minister unto hin ?—who would prv- tect him? Would he noé fall an oasy victira to tho dagger or tho poison of that vile woman if she thought fit to mako another attempt upon his life P”’ * Believa me, dear Ciprina,” said Marcellin, urgently and entroatingly, “ you may in all safety retire for a fow hours! Slumber will soon settle again upon my own oyclids; and indeed my mind will become all the more tranquil if I know that you are not exhausting yourself on my account,” “Woll then, Edgar,” answered tie youn lady, “JT will do as you desire. I shall withdraw into the adjacent chambor, and there repose fur a few hours. J3ut bere is your cvoling beverage —hcro too isa bell which I place at your bedside—and you will be suro to ring 16 if you requiro any- thing, And “now cuimpuse yourself to slocp eral,’ ‘iprina bent down and kissed her patient's brow. She had several times before bestuwed kisses upon him since he lay stretched on that couch; but those were always on the lips. sou, as we have said, it was on tho foreliead that the caress was linprinted; and the circumstance wags to Lidgar’s mind a corroboration of the idea which he nad formed in respect to the refined sentinont that Ciprina was entertaining towards him. The young lady filled a taumblor with lemonade —she also placed a little silver bell on the tabio by the side of Edgar's cough: she then withdrew into the next roo, leaviig tho door of commu. nication partly open, so that she could not possibly fail to hear the summons of that bell. Wo must observo that the chambor occupied by Indvar Maur. cellin was tho fourth or ineerniosth one of tho suite—-while that intuy which Ciprina now retired was consequently tho third. Next came the boudoir, or clovantly furnished sitting-room ; and tuon the ante-chambor. Tho reader will be pleased to boar these circumstances in mind. It was in the chamber to which Ciprina had now withdrawn, that she had suspended the por- trait of Tucrezia Borgia. As she disapparelled herself, she contemplated that portrait, thus apus- trophizing it in her thoughts:—“I1f by atry-<es- dent, means, or chance, she of whom thou wast the prototype were to penetrate into this chamber with iniquitous design, she would start back in horror on beholding thee! Bo thou therefore unto me, as well as unto him ovor whom I watch, —be thou a talisman and a protection !—for it was for this purpose that I brought thee hithee and placed thee there !” Having disapparclled herself, Ciprina combed out the long luxuriant masses of hor raven hair; and when her night-toilet was completed, ghe en- tered her bed. She knew that if she only slept, thus for a single hour it would be more refreshing COMME HOG SS (C@