Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

————— ————————— Ne 96° AGNES; OR, BEAUTY ANP PLEASURE. his Excellency for about half-an-hour—at the ex- “ Woman,” interrupted Marcellin, “no evasions piration of which interval he was conducted toa/ will serve with me; for I know everything!” Buite of apartments, which he was requested to consider his own. Bernardo and Antonia were then summoned to Edgar’s presence ; and he said to them, “Here you may remain— and here you are safe. It were better if you both kept within doors until you receive from me an intima- tion that you may breathe the fresh air again. I need not inform you that on all those subjects on which I have spoken to either of you, you must remain silent when in conversation with any of the domestics in his Excellency’s establishment.” Bernardo and Antonia both promised to fulfil Edgar Marcellin’s bidding ; and he then dismissed them to the rooms which were provided for their own reception. Now, be it recollected that all these incidents took place somewhat early in the morning of the day after the carrying-off of Charles De Vere and Ciprina ; so that it was by this time little more than half-past eleven o’clock in the forenoon. Edgar at once sallied forth, and took his way to the dwelling of La Dolfina, He rang at the bell; and that woman herself quickly answered the summons. Marcellin said that he wished to speak to her on particular business; and she con- ducted him up into that room which has already been described to the reader; but it was onlya glance of contempt which Marcellin flung upon the grim-looking skeleton and all the other hor- rors that were accumulated in the apartment. La Dolfina, thinking that the handsome young stranger came to consult her on some subject in which her own special arts or avocations were in- terested, was proceeding with due gravity to seat herself at the table covered with black cloth; but Marcellin stopped her, saying, ‘“‘ No! we may as well converse in the middle of the room, and without any recourse to those mummeries which I can assure you have no influence with me.” La Dolfina flung upon him an uneasy glance ; for it took yery little to trouble a conscience which for many obvious reasons was never particularly at its ease: but Marcellin at once exclaimed, “ I lio under an obligation to you—and [ shall not willingly do you a mischief.” The woman felt reassured, and smiled—though she wondered how it was possible that the hand- some stranger could be indebted to her. “Yes—it is as I say,” he continued. “ Per- haps you know a young lady who has visited you twice to procure salves and potions P” “Ah, yes!” ejaculated the woman. “Salves and potions for a young gentleman who was dan- gerously wounded with a dagger?” “Tam he,” said Marcellin; “and though not quite so strong as I was, vet sufficiently recovered, as you may perceive, to attend to the important matters which I have on hand. The young lady of whom I speak er “The Signora Ciprina P” ejaculated the woman. “Yes, And you informed her that the Mar- chioness di Mirano was a customer of yours after a certain fashion P” “Ob, no, signor! sothing of the sort!” cried La Dolfina, now terribly affrighted. ‘Some con- {dential discourse did assuredly take place be- sween the Signora Ciprina and myself; but she aad no right in short, if she dared say-——” il ee ee en Lee ee ee ee we eo “Then who are you, signor?” asked La Dol- fina, evidently uncertain whether to regard him as a friend or an enemy. “T am one whose life you saved twice,” was the response; “and therefore I am not ungrateful. Yes !—you saved my life by means of your salves and potions—and you saved it also by means of the antidote which you disposed of to the Signora Ciprina. However detestable the exercise of your avocations may in one sense be, yet I cannot for- get that in another sense your skill has been prac- tised for a good purpose. You see, therefore, that I have no hostility against you—but that on the contrary, I come to serve you, and at the same time to serve myself.” “Speak, signor,”’ said the woman. grateful for these assurances,” “Will you still deny,” resumed Marcellin, “that you sold poison to the Marchioness di Mirano ?” “Yes! that I must assuredly deny!” she an- swered, with a lcok of hardihood, which however lasted only for an instant, because the next mo- ment her glances quailed beneath the keen scru- tinizing gaze which the handsome eyes of Marcel- lin riveted upon her. “This is useless!” he exclaimed. ‘“ Behold! here is a phial which has been found in the desk of the Marchioness di Mirano! It still contains a small quantity of fluid:—this fluid shall be analyzed—and I have no doubt it will be proved K “And let the chemists prove it to be poison,” ejaculated the woman boldly,—% who shall dare say ’twas I that sold it to the Marchioness ?” *“*T say it,” responded Marcellin. ‘ Do you re- quire a proof? It was enveloped in the outside of a letter addressed to yourself. Behold! here is that envelope! Now, who could have wrapped the bottle in this paper except you in whose pos- session that paper was?” La Dolfina trembled: she looked very much confused ; and Marcellin ejaculated, “ All subter- fuge is vain! all falsehood is futile! The proofs are incontestable ! screen yourself: but I shall not be any longer willing to vouchsafe this pardon unless you at once confess z “And what, signor, do you mean to do?” asked La Dolfina, now shaking asif with the palsy, “T mean to make the discovery available for my own purposes,” rejoined Marcellin; “‘ but yet I will at the same time screen you. No!—not exactly screen you; but I will enable you to escape from the consequences of the explosion which must inevitably take place.” “Ah, signor! I perceive that I am at your mercy,” cried the woman. ‘ But, Oh! how can you perform what you say?” I will do it,” rejoined Marcellin. ‘ Yes—I will save you, because you have twice saved my life; and on one of those occasions you at the same time saved the life of the Signora Ciprina! Come with me.” Caw The woman looked frightened; but Marcellin spoke some more reassuring wordse—she accord- ingly put on her cloak and prepared to accom- pany him, “Tam I forgive you for seeking to. 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