Agnes Vol. 2 — page 87: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES; OB, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. agin Gilet OSE AGt at Oo § NR 0 etre gp (eee OREO ae ag FO ee MT 78 At the head of the staircase there was a small landing, where a lamp was burning. There was consequently no possibility of making any mistake in respect to the doors; and Charles at once | conara, that you are expecte d that which stood upon his right hand. He | will be welcome.” a : round bimeclt it ; i stodo? Dare he ré. found himeelf in a neatly furnished little parlour; / Whaton earth was Charle | and a light was burning upon the table. Le | fuse to go with the woman? If he were to speaf* in a peculiar tone, “ you must know, Father F d—or at least that yor passed into the adjacent room: it was a bed- |.even the slighteat word, should he not betray him: chamber, as the priest had described it ; and there | self? Ho thought for an instant of seizing ypdh too stood the curiously carved bureau of walnut- | her, and gagging and binding her with a ¢ome- wood. Unhhesitatingly did Charles proceed to ex- | what greater amount of reality and sternness of amine the drawers; for he knew very well that the | bag of money, which he speedily discovered, was ;ment of Father Falconara: but that idea.” “ls intended for his own use,— asa gift if he thought \ abandoned the moment it was formed. For fit so to regard it; but if not, as a loan, which : now perceived that the opposite door was attndit at any future time he might refund. Aud his; open—he knew it communicated with tho ,-ovr™ heart was filled with grateful emotions as he mur-! nor’s apartments—and therefore he apprehér .ed mured to himself, “Ob ! with what admirablo de- | that the vory instant he made a menacing ribve- licacy and tact was it all managed!—how noble,; ment towards that elderly female, a cry "would how generous is the whole conduct of the priest | burst forth from her lips and his destruction tuwards me would be consummated. The only course which Charles De Vere secured the bag of money about | seemed to be reasonably open to him, was to fol- his person ; and for an instant he was tempted to| low the woman, to darc therew adventure which make use of the writing-maferials that ho found; presented itself, and trust to the chapter of acci- yo purpose than had ere now been shown in his trefo~ ready at hand, for the purpose of leaving a note! dente to bring him to 4 safe issue. expressive of the illimitable gratitude which he felt towards Father Falconara. thought made him renounce this idea. The young priest evidently sought to carry out his own genetous aime in tho way that should be the least calculated to interfere with his scruples of .con- science ; and above all things it would have pained him to receive the positive proof that his kind pur- pose had been seen through and his generous de- signs fathomed. ‘“‘ I will find some signal occasion,” said Charles | to himself, “to convince Fath¢r Falconara of my | “with the Governor’s apartments. Waving for a moment the band which held the But a second ; kerchief, as an intimation that the woman wae to lead the way, he the next instant applied the ker- chief to his face avain and pissed furth from the apartment. The landing was crossed : he followed the woman through the entrance communicating Was not this very much like running into the lion’s den? Charles feared that it might be so: but yet, on the other hand, he recollected that his elderly guide had de- clared “that the Captain was absent ;” and ae this most probably. alluded to the Governor of the gratitude, without making dircct and positive al-| fortress there was so much the less danger to be jusion to the services which have engendered that | dreaded. ris lasting sentiment.” | As Charles Da Vero crossed the threshold of ' While thus musing to himeelf, Charles aviisi | that dourway which mipht almost bo likened unto took the candlo in his hand, and retraced his way | the entrance into the lion’s den, as we have just into the sitting apartment. the outer door opened Ane notwithstanding the fe youth’ natural courageof jie youths miad and the de- gree of self-possgésion with which-he was now armed, ho — not help beiug so suddenly startled by.fbe unexpected incident that he dropped-the candlestick, and the light was extin- guishéd ! : Nevertheless, the lamp which burnt .an the landing, threw its light partially intu the room, und revealed to the eyes of our herv the form of an elderly female upon the thresholu. ‘“] crave the pardon of your reverence,” she said, in sume rustic patois which horribly disfigured the beauty of the [talian tungue ; “ but 1 have been watching for you fur the last half-hour. I saw yeu return two or three minutos ago I knocked at the dvor but as you did not an- ewer, I took the liberty to open it. I hope I have done no wrong ?” Charlies did not answera word. Indeed, how could he reply? What could he say? Who was this woman? wherefore should shoe havo watched for him ? wifi did she want? Ite was fright- fully perplexed—eruelly bewildered! And there he stood, in the semi-obscurity of the room, with the kerchief up to hia countenance—while the old woman still remained upon the threshold. oo ie td At that very instant! hinted, the woman paused to shut the door; und then rapidly flinging a look of peculiar sly mean- ing upon our hero, she continue! to lead the way, at the same time saying, “ Your reverence bas either a very bad cold, or else you are just for all the world like-a timid young virgin who conceals her blushing countenance.” By the time the woman had finished her obser- vations, She had reached a dour at the extremity of a vestibule which was long, narrow, and gloomy. This door she threw open; and then she stood aside for Charles De Vere to pass onward. He did so immediately ; for it was now in a species of desperation tbat he was resolved to seo the isaue of the adventure. He had by this time half bezun to suspect that a tender intiigue might prove to be involved therein,—though he could acarcely ro- concile the supposition with the favourable idea he entertained in reference to the strict purity of Father Falconara’s principles and morals. Lights were burning inside the apartment where Charles De Vere now found himself: the door had closed behind him—the elderly female had not followed him across the threshold— but stil he was not alone in that room. A lady sat upon a sofa; and the conviction was now firmly esta- blished in our hero’s mind that the adventare | would take the complexion he had anticipated. “Will your Feverence come ?’ she inquired. “The Captain is goneout; and—and,” she added AOC CONMUC SS (C@