Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

Pa ee 8 Ea a gs Rent a 4 is wot the first time that I found myself accused of that dread deed is * Ah!”—and now a shade of mistrustfulness again came over Lisetta’s countenance. “Change not your opinion of me!” quickly resumed Marcellin; “but listen while I frankly admit that I left Florence on account of that ac- cusation.” “Who made it against you?” asked Lisetta quickly. “The Marchioness di Mirano,” rejoined Edgar. “ Ah !”’—and a strange light gleamed in Lisetta’s eyes. *“Yes—it was the Marchioness,” exclaimed Edgar; “and she urged me to depart under pain of being denounced and arrested as the assassin of the boy. I admit there were certain little cir- | cumstances which appeared to give a colour to her ladyship’s accusation; and those circumstances seemed at the time to constitute an immense amount of evidence against me. But, Oh! I now begin to see things differently—a light has dawned in upon my brain! The Marchioness was really jealous of my amour with Ciprina, though she affected not to be Bg “ Jealous!—assuredly she was!” said Lisetta. “No one knew the Marchioness better than I: for four years was I in her service, and almost completely in her confidence, I know that she loved you, signor—though she did not avow the fact to me—yet could I fathom her thoughts ” ‘And she accused me of murder,” exclaimed Marcellin, “to punish me for having trified with her—which I certainly did! Yes—she avenged herself most signally! She compelled me to fly from Florence—she thus separated me from Ci- prina Ab! and perhaps it is she who has now denounced me to Signor Paoli as the assassin of his son? But as I live all this shall be cleared up! Ah, I remember, Lisetta, you just now said you had your suspicions. Tell me against whom they were directed tell me I conjure you!— reveal to me the grounds upon which they are based! The knowledge of everything that you know, may possibly help to lead me all the more easily to the development of mine own innocence and to the dragging of the true culprit to light!” Lisetta again reflected—but this time longer than on any previous occasion during the present interview ; and at length she said, “I will tell you everything, signor. But swear to me that if you yourself are guiltless of the blood of Giulio—as I now believe you to have been—you will avenge him! Yes—swear to me that you will avenge the death of that youth, if circumstances should unmistakably demonstrate that his assassin was the one to whom my suspicions point !” “T swear to avenge the death of Giulio,” said Marcellin solemnly. ‘Tell me all you know, Lisetta—assist me in the accomplishment of my purpose—and I will do your bidding as you may command.” The Italian girl thereupon commenced her ex- planations; and she imparted such matters to the knowledge of Edgar that made him listen for a moment with incredulity, and then with mingled amagement and horror, but likewise with the con- viction that it was the exact truth which he heard, end that he was being put upon the right track. It is not however necessary for us to acquaint AGKES; OR, BEAUTY ANP PLEASURE. the reader with those details which Marcellin thus received from the lips of Lisetta: we must leave them to be duly developed in the progress of our story. “And thus,” said Marcellin, after Lisetta’s narrative was concluded, “you came to England to communicate these suspicions to the family of the murdered youth P” “Yes,” responded Lisetta. ‘Giulio had in confidence informed me that he belonged to a well- known family of Neapolitan refugees—that this family was in London—and that he frequently sent them pecuniary assistance. I did not know the address of the Paolis’ abode in London: Giulio never happened to mention it: and when I set off from Florence with the determination of seeking the British metropolis, I little thought how vast it was and how hopeless was the task of discover- ing any one without a previous knowledge of the individual’s residence. I fancied that it was only necessary to go to the head police-oflice, as one would do in Florence, in order to ascertain the ad- dress of any sojourner in the British capital ” ** And thus, my poor girl,” said Marcellin, com- passionately, “ your endeavours were all in vain? Did the Marchioness suspect that you had any ulterior object in leaving her P” “No—I took care that she should not,” replied Lisetta. “I invented a suitable pretext for with- drawing myself from her service.” * And thus, for seven or eight months you have been in England?” said Marcellin inquiringly. “ How have you maintained yourself oe He stopped short ; for he perceived that a quick flush crossed Lisetta’s countenance. For a mo- ment she hung her head; and then as suddenly raising it, she said, while her cheeks were still tinted with a heightened colour, “I had a well- stored purse when I arrived in London, and I possessed a knowledge of the English language. With these advantages I hoped to make my way until I might choose to return to my native country. But I was cruelly robbed of my gold it is now too long a tale to tell suffice it to say that it was so; and then I found that my acquaintance with the English language was of little avail to procure me a respectable situation. What could I do?- Starve or beg? Neither! Besides, Signor Marcellin, I will not affect to be a prude; and therefore [ may as well admit that I had not been for nearly four years in the Mar- chioness of Mirano’s service——” “TI understand you, Lisetta,’ interruptea Edgar. ‘ You are good-looking—all good-looking young women are assailed by temptation—and you had not successfully resisted it.” Lisetta blushed; and her large dark eyes were suddenly curtained by the thickly fringed lids, as she flung her regards downward: for though ad- mitting that she had fallen away from the path of virtue, yet she was not hardened in a career of profligacy. “ And thus, signor,” she continued, ‘ choosing neither to starve nor beg, I accepted the protec- tion of a foreign gentleman with whom I had become acquainted while travelling from Italy to England. But a few weeks ago he was compelled to fly from London on account of debts ; and then I accidentally fell in with a young English gentle- man whom £ had seeo in Florence. His name is LOOK a 5}