Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 264: what you’re looking at

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

el re 256 AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, memorable night when you entrusted your child to my charge. As for Father Falconara, I had never to my knowledge seen him at all. How, then, could I tell that the individual in the Do- minican dress was not Father Falconara? I suspected it—but I was not sure. This evening, however, I have acquired the certainty that the suspicion was well founded. For the first time have I obtained a full and perfect view of Viscount Silvio’s face ; and now therefore would I upon oath affirm that it is the same which I beheld beneath the Dominican hood.” “Signor,” said Ginevra, in a voice expressive of utter misery, “‘I am so completely weighed down by calamities of all descriptions—my path seems to be so beset with perils, treacheries, ad duplicities—all the consequences of my own crime!—that I am reduced to the very verge of despair. I am witb- out energy—without power to help myself. I shall return to my home like a doomed person, aud await whatsoever fresh evils my destiny may bring down upou my head. Upon you, generous English- man, my grieis and perplexities shall be no more obtruded! Yet there is one last favour which I would implore at your hands ¥ “You have saved my life, lady: and besides, you are unhappy!” responded Charles. “I will not refuse you this favour. Speak!— What is it P” “T am not sure whether this morning I rightly comprehended Silvio,” said Ginevra; “but the im- pression is strong upon my mind and now, having received another terrific proof of how desperate his character is—I fear Oh! I fear that if he be really acquainted with the place where my poor babe : ** Hnough, lady!” interrupted Charles De Vere ; “TI comprehend you. You display the feelings of a mother: they are entitled to respect, and they claim my sympathy. I will repair hence to Nino Corso’s dwelling—I will put him upon his guard: in a word, rest assured that I will give such in- structions as shal! protect that innocent babe against any machinations which the unprincipled Silvio may possibly set afoot.” “A thousand, thousand thanks, generous Signor!” exclaimed the Countess of Camerino in a voice of the most grateful enthusiasm. ‘“ And now fare- well !” With these words she glided forth from amidst the ruins in one direction, while Charles De Vere took his departure by another. For precaution’s sake he kept possession of the sword with which his own life had been so terribly threatened half- an-hour back: for the way was lonely between the ruins and the suburb of Naples. He however proceeded unmolested: and before he entered the city he tossed the weapon over a hedge into a garden. But in the meanwhile what had become of the Viscount Silvio? He had suddenly disappeared, as the reader has been informed, at the moment when Ginevra turned round to address her re- proaches unto him; and his intention actually was to speed away from the spot and abandon himself utterly to his fate without another effort to avert exposure and all its frightful consequences. But scarcely was he beyond the ruins, when a change came abruptly over him: his soul sickened at the thought of his guilt becoming known to his father; > = and all in a moment he resolved to exert his energies in a last desperate effort to save himsel®. He stole back amidst the ruins—he crept towards the gateway—he listened and overheard everything that took place between Charles and Ginevra. When the instant came that they separated, and as their forms were gliding in opposite directions from the midst of the ruine, Silvio stole from his hiding-place, and anxiously looked about to see whether Charles De Vere had taken a weapon with him. If he had gone forth unarmed, Silvio was resolved. to speed after him and assassinate him with one of the weapons he had left behind. But while one sword lay broken upon the ground, the other was not to be seen:—the Viscount therefore knew that Charles had taken it with him! “No matter!” he ejaculated within himself: “he is still in my power! One bold stroke and I shall yet be safe!” While thus mentaHy exclaiming, Viscount Silvio sped away from the ruins; and with the utmost celerity which he could command, he dashed on towards Naples, taking care however to avoid the path which our young hero was pursuing at a comparatively slow pace. — CHAPTER XLIV. THE THICKENING OF THE PLOT. Ir is now time to explain the guilty purposes which Viscount Silvio had entertained previous to the adventure in the ruins. The reader has of course seen that one of these objects was the assassination of Charles De Vere. Had this hideous plan suc- ceeded, Silvio would have hastened to his father, and would have addressed him in some*such terms as these:—“ You are avenged, my dear father! Smarting under the sense of the tremendous wrong which you have sustained, I found it impossible to wear the mask of dissimulation in Charles De Vere’s presence. I reproached him for his villany —high words ensued—we fought—and I have killed him!” Thus would Silvio have snoken to his father if murder’s work had that evening been accomplished in the ruins of St. Nicholas. But what other plan did the unscrupulous Silvio entertain? His mind was made up how to act. He had given Ginevra an appointment to meet him again in the church on the ensuing morning ; he would thence on some pretext have enticed her elsewhere—and he would have assassinated her also! Indeed, with a devilish iniquity he had planned how to give to this second fhurder the appearance of suicide. Therefore, if both Charles De Vere and Ginevra had been re- moved from the world, Silvio’s secret would have been safe. The former would not have lived to give explanations when confronted by the Count of Camerino—while in respect to the latter there would have been no further dread of a confession issuing from her lips. Such were the diabolical plans and such were the calculations of the Viscount Silvio previous to the adventure in the ruins: but there, when the crisis came, all his foul projects seemed suddenly scattered to the winds, partly by the prowess of Charles De Vere himself, and partly by the sudden cComicbooks CC —_———s ee — a com