Agnes Vol. 2 — page 49: what you’re looking at

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

Af) to have studied very much how to diseipiino her feelings. From the instant that sho threw her protecting shield over Edgar Marcellin in tho pic- ture-yalicry, down to tho present moment of > which we are writing, she had exbibited more presenco of mind, wore fortitude, more deliberate firmness, nud moro energy, than ever slie had be- furo displayed in all ber life. But this: moral strensth suddenly gave way, and at tho close of the apecch which we have just recorded, Ciprina burst into tears | “Ab, my God!" exclaimed Edgar Marcellin, “how brutal is my conduct towards you! J who owe you eo much, am acting as if 1 were indebted to you for nothing! Ob, Ciprina " “Do not excite yourself, f:lear,’ ene mur- mured: and as sue sobbed convulsively the heav- ings of her bosnm were visible to tho invalid, so that he saw to what extent bis tender nurse was affected, “Nay, but I must obtain your pardon, Ci- prina!” saul Marcellin, “Oh, for heaven’s sake wake allowanco for my condition st the moment! -——cnervated and enfeebled — with scarcely the mental power to form a correct judgment ” “Oh, itis I who have been harsh and unkind!” anbbed Ciprina: “yee, itis 1! And itis 1 thero- fore, Edgar, who beseech your forgiveness!” Her head drooped towards his countenance: he covered her lips and her cheeks with kisses—her bere arms were thrown about his neck—and as he pressed his koad to her bosom, she murmured, Vh, not for worlds, Edgar, would I do augbt to injure you!, J would sooner die than alllict aul? “ Dearest, dearest Cipyinn,” responded Mar- cellin, “i¢ is bliss to bdathus forgiven for the hasty words that have cscaPyl my lips !’—but as he thus spoke, there was a da sp though unheard sivh at the bottom of lis Kar, fur he was stricken with remorse as he felt tnat he was prov: ing perfidious to the image of Corinna Paoli. ‘And now, my dear Hdgar,” said Ciprina, “ compuse yourself to slumber, if possible ; and I bhall wateh by your side for the remainder of the “night. Ab!” she added, glancing at the time- pieco on the mantel, “it is a quarter to two o'clock the morning is advancing !" Ciprina put on a werm wrapper; and sealing herself in au artwn-chair by the sido of Kdgar’s couch, she remained there until it was timo ty five admission to Antonia between seven and eiht o’clock in the morning. S00 whole of that day passed without any in- cident worthy of mention. Ciprina sought not the Muarchioness—the Muarchioness souzht not her: and no messuge was exchanged between them, When evening came, Ciprina sai to An- tonia, “ You will sleep in the anto-chamber to- night. Make up your bed on a sofa againat the wainscot-wall on tho sido of tho fire place. No draught from the duor ean reach you there.” Antonia obeyed Ciprina’s instructions, without AONES; OR, NUAUTY AND PLEASURE. —_—— e w= 4 | — | ee) cd — <p “orn iinet & woe ~bleet =~ -- wee ub NR ML was a secrct meaus of co nmunication with evory one of the rooms belonging to ber suiteP She did not think it probable; but still she was deter- mined to leave nothing tothe chapter of accidents, She therefore fastened pieccs of silken thread along tho walls of the boudoir, her own chambor, and tho room occupied by Edgar Marcellin. These threads communicated with another silken string, which Ciprina attached to a bell which she hung over the head of her own bed. Thus if waa ut- terly impossible for any one to enter by a secret door without coming in contact with the silken threads and raising an alarm. The night however passed without any fresh incident to excite appre- hension ; and Ciprina—who had felt the absolute necessity of taking two or three hours’ rest—rose refroshed and invigorated ; while Edgar Marcellin was progressing most favourably. In the course of the forenoon of this same day, which was the third since the night when Edgar Marcellin received bis wound, Antonia brought the intelligence to Ciprina that the Marchiuncss was just setting off for her villa in the Vale of Arno, aud that she sent her kind regards to the dig- nora, ‘Ts there any message to take back ?” inquired Antonia. Ciprina reficcted for a moment; and then sho said, “* Nothing, beyond tho delivery of wy own kind regards to her ladyship.” * Do you think that this absence, either real or pretended, from the mansion,’ ivquired Edyar Marcellin, when Ciprina communicated to bim whats she had just heard,— do you think tbat it portends some fresh machination P” “T know not what to think,” answered Ciprina, “Some few days ago, if the Marchioness had gone to her villa, I should have said that it was for some intriguo of gallantry: but now cvery- thing is changed, and every incident must bo viewed with suspicion, We will be ‘upon our guard. Open violence 1 do not for a moment apprehend: we are like two bostile camps watch- Ing each other from a distance. As for any new attempt by the insidious means of pvison, I scarcely think that Lucrezia will have recourse thereto, But again 1 say we shall be upon var guard—and moreover we have tho antidote!” But here we must take leave of Ciprina and Edgar Marcellin for the present, and we must tullow the Marchioness di Mirano to her beautiful villa, distant some few miles from YF icorence. Thither the readcr has been introduced on a former occasion; and therefore we shall not be compelled to interrupt the course of our narrative for the sake of much description, We. rill at once proceed to observe that when the evening came, Luerczia di Murano attired herself in tho most elegant costume, aud procceded to that suite of beautitully furnished apartments which some months back she lent to Ciprina, and whither Edgar Marcellin was introduced to the arms o1 that young lady by the machinations of the unfor. for a moment suspecting what bor object could | tunate Giulio. bo—indecdgwithout funcying that sho had any -The particular apartment in which the Mar- ulterior aim af all—bypt naturally supposing that | chioness of Mirano now tuok her seat to await i¢ was only that sha might bo readily within call! the arrival of some one whom she expectcd, was that she was ordered to occupy that anto-chamber, ' brilliantly lighted by lamps held in the hands of But this was not the only preeaution which Ci- -exquisitely chisclled ainbastor statues. yrina took, Low could she tell but that there statues, though such beautiful apecimens of the . 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