Agnes Vol. 2 — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

countenancing any very scrious degree of infidelity on the part of the young Frenchman towards that absent lady. She then crossed the threshold ; and Edgar Marcellin locked the door bebind her. Edgar, carrying the little leathern portmanteau in his hand, entered the secret passage, closing the door behind him. Hoe groped his way along ; for he was involved in pitchy darkness—and this time some little contradiction with other stutements “ Yes—I was able to penetrate into the rooms just now I mean beture 1 saw your ladyship in your boudoir; and therefore I suppose some accident must have happened to the lock when I drew the door after mo.” “ Indeed ?’”’ said the Marchioness, fixing @ look full of suspicion upen Antouia's countenance. “We shall see. Rewain with me, girl.” he had not cared to bring a lamp with him, toas- much as scarcely an hour had elapsed since hr bad explored it thoroughly by the aid of a light. He reached the spiral staircase—he descended it -~and uow he found himself close by the door eading into one of the stable-yards. In respect to his door he had already made up his mind how to ets for the lock was not lot into the thickness of the rood, but was screwed on to the inner surface of the door itself; and it had one of those round bolts shooting into a massive circular staple, such as may often be seen in uld buildings in Italy. Now, the simple removal of the luck or of the staplo was the only atep to be accomplished for the attainment of freedom from amidst the perils with which the very atmosphere itself in that accursed mausion seomed to be laden. Marcellin bad brought with him from Ciprina’s suite of apartmonts a sharp- pointed poker belonging to an iron atuve ; and he had no fear of being unable to effect his purpose. But let us return to Antonia. The young girl had just-iseued forth from tho ante-room, with a blush upon ber cheeks, and yet with a smile upon the lips where the handsome Edgar Marcollin had imprinted @ kiss. She was speeding back to the boudoir of tha Marchioneas, when from a diverg- ing passage that lady herself suddenly appeared. We may here incidentally throw in the observation that Lucrezia di Mirano had alj ic a moment fan- cied it would be better if she herself repaired in person to Ciprina’s apartments to procure the ar- ticles of raiment and tho pisto!; for she was not quite sure to what an extent Antcnia might be io the confidence of Ciprina, or how the young damsel might have listened to any discourse which had taken place between her mistress and Edgar Mar- cellin. And then too, the Marohioness was anr- ious to ascertain whether either of them had left behind any papere—such as letters or memoranda ~-which might contain allusions calculated to com- promise herself. Thus was it that as an after- thought Lucrezia di Mirano determined upon fol- lowing so closely on the heels of Antonia. “ Ah, I was coming to join you in those rooms,” said the Marchioness. “I thought that I would see if there were any traces or clue to be discovered in respect to the destination taken by the Signora { Luorezia di Mirano passed rapidly on towards | the door of the ante-room : she found it fastene -—she stooped down—peeped—and saw that the key was in the lock. ow on earth could th happon P There were only two ways of acer untin for the circumstance,—either tbat there was som one still within those apartments who ‘iad lockec the dvor behind Antonia after she had issuec forth ; or clee that the secret passage had beer discovered and made use of by sume one in addi- tion to the police on the preceding night. * The key is in the lock,” said the Marchioness again fixing ber looks searchingly ard suspiciously upon the young dameel. “,[s any one in those rooms ?” “ No one, my lady,” replied Antonia, steadily mecting the gazo that was thus riveted upon hor. ‘And did you leave the apartment by thie door ?” demanded the Marvhionesa. “If so, how aroe it locked behind you, and the key on the ther side? Ah! you look confused !—you are seoking for an answer !—you are endeavouring to vake up a talo in your mind—and you cannot ! ome with me.” Antonia was not exactly afraid of the Mar- hioness ; but she was now acting submissively in order that she might not foster suspicions that ere already engendered, but that on the other and shé might ensure Edgar Marcellin a sufficient nterval to make bis cscape altogether from the recincts of a mansion where malevolence at any moment might, as a last® desperate resource, turn ‘und and give him into custody on the fatal iharge of being the murderer of Giulio. In der, therefore, to provoke the euspicions of the Marchioness as little as might be, and lull her into as great a sense of security as possible, An- tonia fullowed with a submissive air. Tie Mar- chioness hastily led the way to her boudoir; and thrusting Antonia into thet room, she exclaimed, * Remain hero, deceitful girl! and at your peril do augbt to raise analarm! I shall return in a few minutes.” Lucrezia di Mirano then locked tho door— secured the key about her person—and bent her Ciprina, as I really should like to write to her. Or she may have left a billet for me on her toilet Sable? But where are the articles I sent you for F”’ “T have not got them, my lady,” responded Antonia. “ Not got them?” ejaculated the Marchioness. “No, my lady,” rejoined Antonia. “I canuot get into the rogms again.” “Not get if the rooms? this is ridiculous! How did you first ‘find ouf that your mistress and her lover had fled, unless you had been enabled to penetrate into the apartments ——” “Ah, true!” responded Antonia, who saw that the present proceedings were invelving ber in rapid steps towards the private back staircase which led into the vestibule where Edgar Marcel- lio had encountered Signor Paoli on the memo- rable night that had led to so many startling incidents and grave complications. vestibule the Marchioness now passed into a cor- ridor, and thence by a private dvor into the small yard belonging to the stable where hor favourite riding-horse wae kept. From that A glance thrown round the premises, showed Lucresia that no ons was nigh at the moment; and she hastily turned her ateps towards the little low door which on a former occasion we have described as being set in the solid brickwork forming the basemeut-part‘ot the mansion. She pluced the key in the luck—sbe DOO COUMUC O) SS (CO