Agnes Vol. 2 — page 68: what you’re looking at

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

me nanan Aa ee aA atta arta eneeneeaeeeaan ernest enema mnamannnnanmenmememmememenemnamemmtiaeel AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. 9 Mh =o omne FTE TWIT vie eer owen eter OY Bee pe a — Su soon as tho postilion had begun to whip bis; that would certainly be replote with rashness on horses and the wheels were rattling over the pave- | my part, terror on yours, and hideous crime un ment of the street, one of the sdirri said to Charles | that of those two armed ruffians.” Vu, Vere, “ It is now unnecessary, signor, to keep “ Another insult !” ejaculated the officer fiercely. you muffled and muzzled any longer: but I warn | “ Be prudent in your language, siguor !” you that silence is expected~or if you like tocon-} ‘Oh, why irritate them?” murmured Ciprina, verse, it must only be on the most indifferent | who was now labouring under a fearful couster- ‘topics. You are strictly forbidden to ask any | nation; for she every moment dreaded lest Charles quustions in reference to your arrest—or to make | De Vere should aggravate tho officer to the utmost, any comment upon it—or oven to mention the | and that a bloody deed might be the result. names of any persons in Florence—or to discourse | “Tbe command of a lady in such circumstances,” with your female companion there upon any of | said our young hero, “is with me paramount. these interdicted topics.” | Pray tell me, signora, how you focl yourself now? While the officer was yet speaking, he removed | You fainted -———” the shawl from, off our young hero’s head; and; “ Yes—and all that passed until I just now Di Vere naturally made immediate use of his | awoke te consciousness in this chaiso, has been a eyes by glancing arvund. The equipago was | blank. But yuu, signor ” ( still within the streets of Florenco—two sbirri| “ You are not to touch upon the subjecuéf your were seated opposite to him—Ciprina was lying arrest,” interposed the officer, “nor on the cir- inotionless in the corner of the back seat—or, in | cumstances which immediately ensued theroupen.” uther words, by the side of Charles himself. All| “Then, in the name of common sense,” de- this waa just as h@ had surmised from what he | manded De Vere, whose bluod was still builing with had been enabled to judge while still blind- | indignation, “what topic may we touch upon? fulded. May I, for instance, expatiate on the unaccountable ‘““Why did you not render immediate assistance | treatment thus bestowed on a foreizgner,—a treat- to this lady ?” he demanded. “She das fainted— | ment as vile as it is mysterious ” she may be half suffucated !” “No, signor!’’ interrupted the officor; “ you “Not ebe !” ejaculated the sbirro who had be- | must noé touch on any auch subject!. In short, I fure apuken, and who indeed was the officer that | see that the best thing I can dv is to order you to had been cntrusted with the command of the ex- | hold your tongue atonce. The young lady is more petition. ‘I never yet knew a lady who did not | prudent cume round again after fainting through sheer; “ But at least,’’ said Ciprina, in an imploring fright.” tone, “tell us whither we are going—whut our fate “ Brutal!” muttered Charles indignantly ; and | is to bb——” he had already removed the muflling shawl from| “All that [can tell you,” responded the offi- Ciprina’s bead. cer, “ig that you have nothing to fear for your “Ab! wheream IP” exclaimed the young lady, , lives.” thus suddenly reguining her consciousness; and it} “Thon it is our liberty of which wo aro to bo wns with a quick spasmodic start that she gave | deprived !” exclaamed De Vero indiznantly ; “ and vent tu the ejaculation, ab the same time making a | it is not a simple expulsion from the Tuscan tesri- movement to assure herself that tho veil was atill | tory which is ‘now being acconfplished for some uver her countenance. errencuus er infamous cause or anvther — ".* Sumo hideous treachery,” began Charles, but——”’ ‘ “‘thich I cannet understand ——” “TI ordered you to remain sient, signor!” ex- “Silence!” exclaimed the officer in a stern | claimed the officer sternly. “If you cannot com- commanding voice, “ You know, sigaor, what I | ply with my mandate, I shall again cause you to just now tuld you. The orders which I have re- | be muffled and gagged; and if your obstinate and ceived are positive; and depend upon it they shall | perverse conduct demonstrate itvolf more signally be ubeyed to the very letter, Do not mistake me | than it has yet done, I shall separate you from the —and “do not think that L gpeak in jest, or thaé I | lady, put you into another chuise at the first post. am piving utterance to inflated menaces tbat are | ing-house, and send you on by yourself.” never intended to be exeouted. Yuu may see| “Ah!” thought Charlies: “ alter all the formi- that [ have a pistul in my hand; and if you veg- | dable clicking of the pistol and the ftulminated lect my advice, I will shout you through the | menaces, he has abanduned the idea of shuoting bead !” me through the head !” “And | tel you,” exclaimed Charles, “despite| The reader may easily suppuse that the suspi- your threaty, that you and your superiors, and} cion had just arisen in our young hero's mind, every une engaged in this outrage, shall bitterly | that the officer of sbirri was not quito av deaperate ” und determined a person, as he had at first undea- voured tu make himself appear. Indeed, Charles was nut very much disinclined to suppuse bust there was no small amouut of bragyvaduciv, vapour, and bluster, in the officer’s conduct, and he turther suspected that if this surmise should bappeu to be correct, the man might have sumo spice uf cowardice in his dispusition. The consequence was that a certain idea sprang up in our hero's For heaven's sake—— toind ; and he thought within himself, “1 will not * Trauquillize yourself, signora,” interjected | say any mure at present to provuko the fellow ty ‘uacles: “I will dy nothing to provoke a scone | put we iotu auuther chaise und uuder the guard of repent “Ah! you monace us!” excluimed the officer of police: and tbe sharp click of a pistul, ay the shirry cocked it, was heard within the post. Chuise, ‘In tho name of God,” murmured Ciprina, as she ceught, hold of Charles De Vere’s arm and held it with convulsive violence, “do nothing to irritate these oflicers!—their power is immense! | 99 AOC COMNMUG OY SS co