Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 295: what you’re looking at

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

a» AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. 287 ‘ ‘ady,” said Fidelia, “and to let me live with you |said Ciprina, startled by the sound which the key kanceforth, for I detest and loathe this place !” “Rest assured,” interjected Silvio, “that your welfare, Fidelia, shall ever henceforth be our care! You have every claim upon our gratitude! But what is now to be done ?—for I tremble, beautiful Ciprina, lest the Prefect should return at any mo- ment to my apartment!” “There need not be an instant’s delay,” re- sponded Ciprina. “But there is a deed more or less desperate for you to perform, my lord ig “Name it! name it!” exclaimed Silvio. “ Mine is a position that will not suffer me to be daunted by a trifle!” “That sentinel in the yard below,” rejoined Ciprina, with an anxious look—“‘he constitutes the only barrier between ourselves and freedom ! Fidelia has possessed herself of all the necessary keys—a carriage is in waiting at a little distance— we have passports made out in fictitious names— in short, my lord “How am I to deal with that sentinel?” in- quired Silvio. “Shall I kill him?—or shall I risk everything on the issue of a struggle?” “There must be no bloodshed if it can be avoided !” interposed Fidelia, with a visible shud- der. “If you feel yourself strong and confident, my lord, you may overpower him with a blow— you may stun him be “But if a single cry escapes his lips,” added Ciprina, “we are lost! Dearest Fidelia, you must consent, as I have already told you, to leave this matter entirely to the Viscount!” “Boe it so,” said the girl: but her beautiful face was very pale. *‘ Take this, my lord,” said Ciprina, presenting adagger to Silvio. “The handle is heavy—if you grasp the blade, you may perhaps deal a blow that shall deprive the man of consciousness —and if we only gain five minutes, it will prove sufli- cient for our purpose! Come, Fidelia: let us de- part. Every instant’s delay is fraught with dan- ger!” Civrina and Fidelia now enveloped themse!ves in cloaks which they had in readiness: the Vis- count put on his own cloak, beneath which he grasped the dagger with the determination of using it as effectually as circumstances might de- mand. Fidelia peeped forth from the apartment : the passage outside was clear ; ard they all three hastened along it, Fidelia leading the way. At the extremity there was a door, which the young Italian girl opened by means of a pass-key of which she had possessed herself; and a staircase was revealed. When the threshold was crossed the door was closed and locked again: but as the staircase was involved in total darkness, they were compelled to descend it cautiously. On reaching the bottom, Fidelia said in a whisper to Silvio, “My lord, there is a door which opens into the court-yard. Iwill leave it ajar for a few instants, —the tread of the sentinel’s feet will enable you to judge how to act—watch your opportunity—and if bloodshed can be avoided, for heaven's sake go not to extremes. Ifotherwise fi She stopped short, with a gasping sound in her throat; and in the trepidation which seized upon her, she dropped the pass-key on the stone floor of the little vestibule at the bottom of the stairs, “For heayen’s sake, be cautious, Fidelia!” thus made, “T am completely self-possessed,” young girl, now speaking in a calm tone. The next instant the key was heard slightly grating in the lock—the door moved on its hinges —and a faint glimmering of light from without was thrown through the opening into the vestibule. All was now breathless attention there. The foot- steps of the sentinel were heard at the extremity of the yard—likewise the voice of the man, for he washumming a tune. Slowly he began to retrace his way; and as he approached the door, Silvio closed it almost completely, but keeping himselfin readiness to tear it open when the suit- able moment should arive. The sentinel drew nearer and nearer, still humming his tune: now he passed the door—then quick as thought that door was opened—and Silvio glided over the thresh- old. Following Ciprina’s suggestion, he grasped the blade of the dagger with his right hand: with his left he suddenly seized upon the soldier, whose shako fell off—and in the twinkling of an eye the heavy hilt of the poniard came in violent con- cussion with his head. Down he fell as if shot through the heart; and Silvio was fortunate enough to catch the man’s musket, so that it fell not with crashing sound upon the stone pavement of the yard. It wasall the work of a moment— but a moment of fearful suspense for Ciprina and Fidelia! Silvio dragged the sentinel into the little vesti- bule, assuring the lady and her attendant that the man was not dead, but merely rendered senseless by the blow. Fidelia closed the door upon the unconscious soldier, and locked it. She hastily led the way across the court-yard: she opened a door on the other side; and this afforded admis. sion into a dark corridor, which was quickly threaded. At the extremity there was another door, which the pass-key opened: and the three adventurous individuals now entered a small gar- den attached to the Prefecture. “We are safe!” said Fidelia, in accents of exul- tation. Most welcome was this announcement to Silvio, and scarcely less so to Ciprina, as Fidelia led the hurried way along the gravel walk which was shaded by evergreens. They reached the garden-wall ; the gate was quickly opened: and they issued furth into a narrow street which was bounded by that garden-wall on one side, and by a range of high buildings on the other. Along the street they sped; and it was at the extremity of this throughfare that they expected to find the vehicle which Fidelia had engaged to be in attendance there. But no such equipage was on the spot. Was it a mistake? The driver of the vehicle had received half of his remuneration beforehand, so that his services might, as it was thought, be effec- tually secured: but still he was not there. What was to be done? There were few public vehicles in that particular quarter of Naples; and it would be dangerous for the fugitives to penetrate into the more frequented parts where a hackney-coach could be procured. They all three stood still and listened in the hope of hearing the approach of wheels, But no such welcome sound reachec\ them. The case seemed almost desperate —or at least a desperate effort must be made to meet thi: said the ——— eee 5 ee Ccomicooolks.con