Agnes Vol. 2 — page 57: what you’re looking at

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

€ 48 AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. i “Yes: and the best proof is that I owo you is that you do deal in poisons: and I will there- fore at once ask you whether you have not very recently disposed of some to a certain noble lady who lives in grand stylo at no great distance hence P” Whilo thus speaking, Ciprina opened her purse and drew forth several pieces of gold, as a hint that if the dame troated her with candour she would be well rewarded. «“ Tell mo who you are,” said the woman; “ for I begin to suspect or rather I will proclaim it at once! You are the Signora Ciprina—and you live at the Mirano mansion !” “Though a humble individual,” replied the young lady, with a smile, “I am yet known to several persons~and why not to La Jolfina amongst thom? Jt requires no witch " “IT tako heaven to witness,” cxclaimed the woman, “that I did not know you until the rooment when 1 proclaimed my suspicion and then affirmed it as a certainty.” * You might have seen that I wes moro or less indifferent as to whether you recoynised me or not,” answered Ciprina, “even on the first occasion when I visited you; for I raived my veil then as I have done now. But supposing what you state to be true, how came you to suspect all of a sudden, and without any hint from my lips, that I am the Sisnora Ciprina P” ‘‘ Because I bave for sume time known that a young lady of excecding beauty, and belonging to some fureign country, is living with the Mar- chionesa of Mirano. Jz are of execeding beauty — you have dark hair and eyes; and thus far you correspond with the description that in mere con- versational moments has op occasions met my ears in reference to the Signora Ciprina, Then again, you belong to some foreign country—for you speak the Itahan tongue with an accent, though with a delicious melodiousness of voice.” ‘“ Nay—but all these circumstances,” said Ci- priva, again smiling with sly significancy, “ aro much too vague and indefinite to convince you so suddenly that I am tho very identical Ciprina of whom you havo heard speak. Now, my good woman, let us understand each other,” she con- tinued, at once becoming scrious. “It was be- cause I inquired in reference to the proceedings of a certain noble lady whom you af once knew to 20 the Marchioness di Mirano that I meant,—it was on this account, I say, that you were struck vith the suspicion that I might bo that lady’s ‘riond ; and then the other little circumstances you have meationed—the good looks, the black pyes and hair, and tho foreign acccnt~—sorved as -crroboratives of the idea, Is it not so?” La Dolfina looked at the young lady for a few moments ; and then with a Jaugh she said, “ You are more shrewd and cunning than I could pos- sibly have suspected. Well, my dear signora, we are going to deal candidly with oach other ; and | will admit the truth. Yes—you are right: the Buspicion was engendered in my mind in the way you bave mentioned,” “And I am right also,” said Ciprina, placing ten pieceg Of gold in the wise-woman’s hand, “ in tho beli@f that you havo sold pvisun to the Mar- ‘hioness of Mirano “Ie the secret to remuin betweon yuu and me P? asked La J)olfina. the deepest debt of gratitude,” rejoined the young lady; “ for if it had not beon for your antidote, I should be a stiff cold corpse now !”’ “ And if it had not been,” rejoined La Dolfina, “that I suspected you had by some means or an: other found it needful to use thej antidote, by the fact of your asking for a second phial, I should not have suffered myself to be drawn into these revealings. And so it was for you, beautevus ercaturo,” continued the woman, gazing with a look of sympathy on Ciprina, “that the pvison was bought ?” “Yes—it was for me, But tell me frankly, had you any particular motive in recommending me the other night to purchaso your antidote P” “Yes—three distinct motives,’ answered La Dolfina, “ First, that 1 might make you as good a custumer as possible: sccond, because it 1s my invariable habit to recommend antidotes against poison, so that in case I should at any time become involved in entanglements with tho police, 1 may secure to myself a repute quite con- trary to that of a poison-vender; and third, bo- cause thero was something &buut you which in- ‘spired me with a real interest, so that I was anxious to render you a service, if possible—for I surmised, from the adventure of the wounded young gentleman, that you were at Icast entering, if not already plunging deep into the gallantrics of this city—and I knew that in this case, the greater the number of defensive weapons with which you were armed, the better it would be for you.” There was something in the woman’s look which made Ciprina think she was spoaking with sincerity when she thus proclaimed a sympathetic feeling on her behalf; but as she waa not com- pletely sure, she mace no remark on the point. “Jt seems to me singular,” said the young lady, “that the Marchioness of Mirano should have taken such hittle precaution in purchasing the poison of you, as to sufcor you to know who she was.” “ Ah, there you aro wrong, signora!” returned La Dolfina: “her ladyship’s proceeding was not deficient in precaution. She strove all she could fo conccal herself from my recognition: sho re- tained a veil thickly folded ovor her countenance— and I asked her not to move it. Nor did I reovg- niso her at the timo. But I caused her to be followed : she was traced back to the Mirano mansion—and then, by her stature, by ber gait, and by a curl of golden auburn hair which had escaped from beneath the veil while sho was in my presence, I folt assured she could be none otber than Lucrezia di Mirano herself.” “And why did you cause her to be followed ?” asked C:prina. “Since we aro cngaged in mutual dealings of frankness,” rejoined the wise-woman, “1 will answer your question. It is my business to know everything—or at least to seem to know overy- thing. But how could this knowledge be acquired unless by a variety of artifices and manourres P Half the ladica in Florence have been to me at different times for varivus purposes ; and they all flatter themselves that l am in ignorance of the personal identities of thoso who thus visit ay, But thev are mistaken.” a i, Se COMME HOG SS (C@