Agnes Vol. 2 — page 83: what you’re looking at

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

74 rad agp wey a ee oe | parted, could be lost, AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. ea: se SC ~pedes 6 Seer eA ee ty with which he had buoyed up Floribel ere thoy] “ Fou! a ain?” said Charles in surprise. Suddenly he ejaculated, | *Yos. Did I not suffer the Count of Camorino “Are you indeed that same lather Faloonara whom | tv assume the disguise of a priest—to take my I knew in Naplos P”’ “be same,” replied the prigat: and all this time his pale countenance wag imparturbable. “The same?” cried Charles. “IT doubt it If sv, do you know me? do youremember me? Who am | ?” “Do not ask mo,” responded the ecclegiastic : “it is useless to put such a question.” ‘‘Nay—but I insist upon waving the answer !” exclaimed our hero, now becomipg most painfully excited. “ Who am 1?” “You area Number Twenty-nine,’ was the pricat’s reply. Our hero literally stamped his foot with rage for a moment; and then lio really felt as if he could have wept, and as if tears were the only sateguard against hia going mad. self—bhe curbed his impatience—he held back hia tears; and looking Father Fulconara full in the face, he asked, “ Upon what topics are we por- mitted to converse P”’ “Upon none relating to the cause of your arrest, if you know that cause—or to the sup- posed reason, if you only conjecture it,—upun nothing which in any way concerns the circum- stance which brought you bither 7 Bayt pT were to touch upon it,” interrupted Charles, “how would you be aware that I was approaching the forbidden ground, since you assure me that you yourself aro ignorant of every- thing which relutes to my most unjust—most ini- quitous ” “ Jfush! bush!” said the priest, ign q peremp- tory tone: “ you must not cvon complgin of your captivity! You ask me upon what topics you can converse? I will tell you. You may touch on all thage general subjects which by their very nature -provye themsclyes to be ynconnecled with the cir- camastance of your captivity ;—and you may, aga matter of course, consult me upon religious ques- tions.” * Ab!” exclaimed Charles, with something lixe a feeling of relict: “then I see that our tongues are not entiroly shackled, and that there are some aubjects left for us to touch upon. Might I thero- fore ask what has become of the Count of Came. rino P” ‘I do not know,” responded Mather balconara. “Since the 10th of January, at the commencement of the present year i “The 10th of January?” said Charles with a shudder : “ the day of Viscount Silvio’s execution P” “The same,” rejoiued the ecclesiastic. ‘‘ Since that hour of death and agony,—death for the son and agony for the father—but un hour likewise of contrition on the une side and forgiveness on the other,—since that hour, I say, 1 have not again beheld the Count of Camerino. We separated iu the church where at the foot of the altar he breathed the syllables of pardon in the ears of tho penitent eqn} As for myself, I left Naples—I could nof’endure to dwell any longer amidst scenes which were roudered so horribly familiar to my knowledge! ~-And moreover,” he coutinued, more slowly and deliberately, “1 had committed a sin, for which I reaulved that I would atone in some signal manner ——~” i lips of the guilty Ginevra But ho tranquillized him- | ' Ingress, place in the confessional, and to Icarn from thu “ And fut “Ab ! true—truc !” said our hero. that sin, as you denominate it ” “T am now paying the penalty,” rejoined Fatbor Faleonara, “ My position as chaplain i+ this fortress of Bagno is my ponance! Jur two years am J doomed to bury myself in thj) se- clusion—to pass my time in visiting what ‘ termed these living tombs,—yes, this is uy pe- nance !’’ a, “] understand,” said Charles, who was no y¥ in-« clined, in the natural genorosity of bis hears, to - pity the unfortunate priest. ‘“ Pexliaps I ma, b permitted to inform you that there is a yors"s lady od “ You must inform mo of nothing,” interfupted Father Faleonara, “which may relate to Number Thirty, if you are about to allude .to her. One prisoner is not allowed to speak to me of another, for fear Jest I might become, even unconsciously and unwittingly, the means of communication be- tween them.” Again Charles felt that an abrupt check was given to the discourse ; ond again ho felt half in- clined to be angry with the young priest at win! he could scarcely help once more regarding as his ogld, saturnine, unfriendly conduct which saemcd ys if it would not strain a aingle point in sym- pathy on bis behalf. But all of a sudden Father Falconara secmed tv adopt a more cheerful mood, as he took a aeat upon the pallet, while be mo- tiored fur Charles De Vere to ovoupy the single chair uf which the cell could boast. “ But I muat tell you,” continued tho ecclesi- astic, “that 1am not altugethor a captive withia these walls. Iam enabled as a matter of course y by. to issuc furth from the castle at any hour, eveo , though it be in the middie of the night I re«iuire no passeword ;—tbo moment I make my appearance at any one of the doora or gates of this furtress, iy garb is sufficient to ensure me eyress as well as And perhaps you will forgive mo if I still continue in an egotistical strain: but there aro times when one its to speak of oneself —.”’ Yes,” said Charles, somewhat eagerly,—“ when suddenly thrown into the company of an gid ac- quuintance ?” “Well, then,” continued Father Falconara, apparently unbeeding the interjectud observation, “TI was about to inform you that so far as worldiy comforts are concerned, I have no reason to cum- plain. Indeed,” be added movkly, and with a contrite look, “I am cared for bettec in these re- spects than I assuredly deservo, considering the great transgression for which I am dvuing penance. D» you happen to bear in mind the particular dour by which you saw me enter the lobby this morning ?” “Ido,” answered De Vere. “That door communicates with a staircase,’” continued the ecelesiastic, “at the summit of which there are two duors. The one to the right opens into two rooms which constitute my babitation, Picture to yourself a neatly furnished little par- lour, with an equally comfortable bed chamber ad- juining. Ab, and I should add too that if I happen ANICIDO© i@i co SS