Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 268: what you’re looking at

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

260 and justified himself—that he is a most honourable young gentleman—that both of us must deeply deplore whatsoever misapprehensions and errors we have laboured under concerning him — and that we ought to deem him worthy of our friend- ship instead of our rancour.” . As Silvio thus spoke, he flung a significant glance upon De Vere, as much as to say, “ Since you are sufficiently generous to keep the fatal secret, I am anxious to testify my gratitude.” “ You have spoken well and wisely, my dear son,’ said the Count of Camerino. “Signor De Vere, though you yourself be innocent on a cer- tain point, yet is is evident that you must be ac- quainted with the author of my dishonour—for it was you who consigned the child to the keeping of the worthy couple in the opposite apartment. I adjure you to name him!—name him, I entreat and command!” “Though making all charitable allowances for your lordship’s excited feelings,’ replied Charles, “and indeed profoundly commiserating your lordship on account of the heavy afflictions which in so many ways have befallen you, I am never- theless constrained to deny your lordship’s right to command me in any respect. Accident more or less involved me in these mysteries: would to God I had never been thus dragged into their com- plicated web! But I will not mention the name which you seek to elicit from my lips. This only will I say—and I invoke heaven to attest the truth of the averment—that the individual whose name you demand is no friend of mine!” The Count of Camerino again looked deeply perplexed: he bit his lip—he was more than half inclined to have recourse to the most deadly menaces to elicit the name from De Vere’s lips; but his natural sense of justice and the habitual magnanimity of his disposition made him compre- hend that he had no right thus to act. At length he saic, “ Will you remain here, Signor, for a few minutes? Your pledge shall be deemed suffi- cient—there shall be no terrorism exercised — you are your own master to do as you think fit. I now entreat—I do not attempt to command,” Thus speaking, the Count concealed the dagger about his person; and Charles De Vere, who for many reasons was anxious to see the issue of the present complex progress of affairs, said, “ Yes, my lord—I will remain here until your return.” “Tis well,” said the Count: and without taking either his hat or cloak, he at once issued from the apartment; so that Charles felt convinced he was merely about to seek the opposite room. The instant the door closed behind the Count of Camerino, Silvio approached our hero, saying, “You have acted the noblest part, Signor De Vere e “Stand back, my lord!” interrupted Charles, with a cold sternness of voice and look: *‘ how do I know but that you may have a bravo’s weapon concealed about your person? You saw that I would not trust myself alone with you, unarmed as I am, if you were to have had your father’s dagger in your hand !” The Viscount had at first turned pale with shame and rage at the taunt thrown out: he bit his lip almost till the blood came; but mastering the emotions which had excited his kot Italian | AGYPHB; OR, BEAUTY AND PLHASURY. a eSeeESSSSesSsés— ee have a right thus to reproach me, Signor De Vere: but I swear to you that in the presence of your nobly generous conduct I am incapable of doing you a mischief—and I have now no interest in attempting it.” “Ah! I understand!” ejaculated our hero; “and the suspicion which I entertained was cor- rect! You sought to make away with me be- cause you feared that if I met your father I should prove to him that [ had not been guilty towards him, and he would therefore have to seek else- where for the author of his dishonour P” ““'Yes—it was so,” responded the young Vis- count. “Alas! Signor De Vere, crime is horribly prolific! Itis like the reptile which brings forth & swarm of a venomous brood! Yes, Signor— your conjecture is the right one!—and if I dared ask your pardon - “ Pardon, my lord?” ejaculated Charles, scorn- fully: ‘“‘ there is no pardon for such assassin in- tentions as those! I gave you your life, more through pity for the frail and wretched accomplice of your deep damning iniquity towards your own father He “Hush, for heaven’s sake! he may overhear you!” said the Viscount, trembling all over with mingled rage, shame, and terror. ‘ But tell me, Signor—tell me, I conjure you—is it possible that Nino Corso and his wite can afford my father the slightest clue to the discovery of the hideous secret P” “TI firmly believe they cannot,” rejoined De Vere: then, after a brief pause, he said, as he looked Silvio fixedly in the face, ‘Do you know the only means by which this secret which you so appropriately term a hideous one, can be for evor concealed? Because, for the sake of humanity, I should indeed be glad to know that it could never become developed to the knowledge of your un- happy father! It is sufficient that he has ob- tained such deep damning proof of his wife’s frailty, without being crushed completely to the ground by the discovery of his own son’s crowning infamy!” ‘What means are there of keeping the secret P” asked Silvio eagerly. “ That the Countess of Camerino should retire to a convent,” replied Charles, “and that you should never seek to see her more.” “Ob! if she could be induced to take this step,” exclaimed Silvio, ‘‘it would indeed prove effective unless indeed at this very moment my father be obtaining some clue which we suspect rot ” “T tell you, my lord, I do not think that it is probable,” interrupted De Vere. ‘I will see the Countess to-morrow—I will earnestly conjure her to’ retire at once to a convent—and I will guarantee to her your own pledge that never more will you seek to intrude your presence upon her!” “ A thousand thanks But hush!” ejaculated Silvio: “was not that a footstep upon the stairs ? —a light footstep like that of a female P” “Yes,” answered Charles: “but it may have been the step of Benedetta—for it is indeed little likely that the Countess would visit this house to- night. Ob, my lord! you see what it is to have a guilty conscience !”’ But here we will leave the two young men to- blood, he said in a meek sorrowful voice, “ You | gether in the one room upon that foor, while we ——-—— comicbooks —