Agnes Vol. 2 — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

Cahn Ranta eT TTT TN a TT TTT a TST ITT Ga TaA IE ae P I TA AIT tae ES SECT AOS LICL TOD ET TI . AGNES; ON, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. 61 Efe bo tamale ce teenage “PREPS gone off! The man started—Ciprina sbricked— —for the equipago distanced him more and more the chaise was filled with smoke—and De Vere| every instant, until at length it was lost to his was not inactive! Quick* as the eye can wink, | view in a turning of the road some threo quarters had he taken advantage of the confusiun to seize | of a mile a-head. Then panting for breath, and upon the pistol which the officer opposite to him | temporarily exhsusted by the tremendous efforte bad all the while retainod in his grasp. That | he had made to overtake the chaise, De Vere pistol was torn from the sbirro’s clutch; aud sauk down upon a grassy slope by the side of the Charles hesitated not ta desl him a blow so severe | ruad,—thanking heaven for bis own release, and aa to display little consideration whether it merely , deploring the fact that his exploit should have stunned or killed outright. Tbep, with the swift- | balf-failed through the non-rescue of Ciorina. nesa of thought itsolf, our young hero dealt a| Ue recked but little for the sbirrv whom he gimilar blow at*the man with the carbine; and at ‘had left at a distance behind: he had deprived the same instant, be with 4 tremendous back kick‘ him of his fire-arms; and though the individual uf hig foot sent the door of the chaise bursting still retained his sword, yet thia was a matter of open. The 4 alapetany had instantaneously reined no consequence in the youth’s estimation. in? bis horses%at the sound of the carbine’s ex-, ‘“‘If he come after me,” thought Charlesj“ I am plusion: the equipage came to a full stop; and! more than bis match: for I nood not let him ap- the sbirro leapt down from the box. Ifo had in- | proach nearer than I think fit. But it a not at stinctively grasped bis carbine; but he did not | all probable he will risk an encounter!” immediately prepare himself fur any hostile inci-' And now, which way was De Vore to pursue 7 deuts: the idea bad naturally struck him that oue | If ho began to retrace tho route which had been of his comrades infide the chaise had suddenly hitherto taken, be might incur dangers from tho found it uecessary to inflict the extromest punish- | fact of the sbirro who remained bobind, hastening mont upon an intractable and rebollivus prisoner, | bofure him tu spread the alarm. If he struck off This third sbirro was therefore taken off his abruptly to the right or to tho left, he might so guard, when immediately on springisg down from | completely lose his way as to wander about within tho* bux, as the chaise stupped, he was literally ithe same limit, and ¢hus become a prey to the younced upon by our intrepid young hero, who at troopa of mounted police that he bad no doubt liut instant leapt furth from the interior of the ' would be speedily despatched in search of him. vehicle. An ejaculativn burst frum the sbirro’s Yet sumething must be done!—1t was not by lips: Charles felled him with a blow; but as the tarrying on that spot where he now found him- mun did not lose bis consciousness, De Vere toro | self, that his ultimate safety could be ensured! He the carbine from his grasp, aud planted his foot | therefore decided upon proceeding at random; and upon his breast, exclaiming, “ Resist not, or your | he at once struck into the defiles of the Apennines. lite is forfeit!” ) The moon and stars were now shining brilliantly “ You are the conqueror, signor, and you must |——the night was beautifully clear—and thus our dictate your terms,’’ was the response. young hero was enabled to pick his way amidst At that very instant the postilion suddenly | the wilds where he found himself. He beheld an whipped his horaes, and the equipage dashed away | occasional lunelyevottage ; but ho dared not tarry at the floetest possible rate. Whether it were that | to knock the inmates up and ask for shelter, bo- tho man was labouring undor a panic terror, and | cause be still had the apprehensidf floating in his was bewildered with the dread ulurm that the in-| mind that the whole district would be speedily trepid Charles would inflict some frigetful ven- | swept by the mounted police. geance upon hiwself—or whether it were that be| A couple of houre passed, ang Charles De Vere thought be had better help to at least carry off the | was etill wandering at random, without bhuving other two Cflicials, as well as the female captive in | Cncountered a soul, and without having as yet the chaise—we canuut pussibly determiye. Bat | found an opportunity of putting into execution a very certain it was that away went the equipage prvject which he had formed, This was to pro- at a pace so awift us to be ouly tou well calculated cure & horse aa goon us he possibly might. It was tu astuuish the horses who were so urged onward, | ut the expiration of these two hours that our hero ug well as the driver who was thus successfully | found hiwevlf on the outskirts of one of those pic- urving thom. turesque little villages which are buried as it were “Step !” shouted Charles ; “stp,” he ejaculated ; | amidst the mazes of thu Apennines, and which the “ur by hoavon, J will fire !” waylaror stumbles upva so unexpectedly that ho But the postilion beeded not hie threat; and/| becumes aware of the tuct all in a moment instead indeed it was impussible for our bero to carry it | of having been prepsred by previous glimpses latu execulluun—as the whole body of the vebicle, | gradually and gradually enlarging and develuping with the persuus whuw it vontaiued, was now in-| the view. It was now between three and four terpused betwixt himself whum it was leaving be- | v'eluck 1n the morning—bus all was atill silent in hind, and the pustilion who was seated un ove of | that village. Charles entered it with minglea the horees that were dashing away with it. Feel- {| hope aud wmisziving—resolving to incur every risk ing that bis buovur was more or less copoerned in _for the purpuse of possessing himself of a ‘horse, duing all ho cuuld tou effest the liberation of Ciprina but on the other hand recviling from the appre- “whut he luvked upon as sufferiny ontirely ou! bensiun that the circumstances in which he seomud accuunt vf » generous though sumewhat imuvral| te by placed might be deemed sullivieutly susple d-votion towards Eagar Marvellin—the youth sped cious tu lead to his arrest, However, there was wileg the chaise os quickly aa his leys would varry | uv belp tur its @ burse bo must hove, buyether bim—a carbine in vue hand, a pistul in the other. With instructions how to escape beyouad the Tuscan Jathe and avile ag he wag, Le dashed onward at a ftcuntier, to the nearest puint 1p & neagbbuourtug bremvudous rate; butit was of coursy all in vain State, wheavy he might at opey vouuunicale with AOC fd COMNMUG SS