Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 167: what you’re looking at

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

AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. he fancied it was better under the circumstances to avoid incurring the imputation of selfishly look- ing after his own interests. In respect to his con- duct a quarter of an hour back in the presence of Father Falconara, be declared that it was only for the purpose of preventing Lucrezia from irre- deemably compromising herself; and the explana. tion seemed as a matter of course so natural that she did not for a moment suspect how in this Instance also he had been studying to make his Own interests assort with the probable flow of events, But now there was a wild and passionate out- buret of grief, and lamentation, and entreaty on Lucrezia’s part. What was she to do? what would Ramorino advise P to what extent could he protect her ? Should she remain there P or should she return to her own mansion, barricade the doors, and defy the officers of justice with tho warrants of levy and seizure? Were there no means of averting the storm ? or had the thunder- cloud gathered so completely and descended so low above their heads that it must speedily burst P All these questions were hurriedly put in al- most as many seconds only‘as it has taken us minutes to record them. And not only hur- riedly put were those questions, but frantically and with feverish.anxiety—with all the agony of poignant suspense—with a tightening at the heart, ‘a suffocation at tho throat, and fire in tho brain! And how looked Lucrezia now P—was she the Same exquisitely beautiful woman aseverP No! —grief and agony of mind had already in the space of a few hours done much to mar her natural loveliness. Her face was haggard—her features had veritably the careworn appearance of wholo years stamped upon them! MHer eyes seemed sunken and hollow; ber lips were ashy 159 a countenance whereon all the tortures of a doomed one were depicted, that she implored her husband to save her, or to counsel her how she might save herself if he were no longer able to assist hor! Ramorino knew not bow to reply to the pas- sionate queries she had put to him: or rather woe ought to say that he hada negative answer for every one of them, and was completely bewil- dered how to suggest anything in their place. She must not leave bis house, because she was watvhed. She must not return to her own home, because such a step would only be precipitating her arrest. She must not go thither and barricade the doors, because the officials of the Minister of the Interior would break down the portals for the purpose of capturing her; or the bailiffs of the Treasury would do the same for the purpose of levying the seizure. As for Ramorino himself, his own power had suddenly appeared to come to an end: the man at whose beck and word the whole springs of the Tuscan police could be put in motion, was now paralysed by a combination of circumstances which he could scarcely have foreseen and against which he could not struggle, All was bewilderment, agita- tion, confusion, ana uncertainty on the part of those two beings who had only been married a few hours. Good heavens! what a honeymoon was succeeding that bridal! It was now close upon one o’clock in the morning; and ‘all idea of retir- ing to rest was out of the question. With a palatial residence of her own in that fair city of Florence—with a villa in the loveliest part of Arno’s delightful valley—with a chateau in the country— and with the right to call her husband’s own re- sidence hex home, Lucrezia nevertheless felt as if there were no place where she might lay her head! Ob, how she wrung her hands! how she anathema. tised the day on which sbe had purchased that white; and the, half-exposed bosom, which was| picture of Lucrezia Borgia which had appeared to wont to swell with tho glow of love’s transports, ; act as au evil genius that she was installing be- was now palpitating with the volcanic hell that raged beneath. She could scarcely realize the neath her roof! Ob, and how she likewise cu:sed the hour when she had iallen in with Ciprina; for horror of her position: she could scarcely fancy | it seemed as if her intimacy with that young lady that it was otherwise than a hideous dream. her mind was in a terrible state of activity at the time; she remembered a thousand things which were only more or less remotely connected with ber degradation and her appalling danger. She re- collected, for instance, how, scarcely a year back, she had smilingly and confidently assured Ciprina how utterly impossible it was that she could ever imitate the erimes of her prototype in beauty, Lucrezia Borgia; and yet there she was, steeped to the lipa in iniquity, and hovering upon the pre- Cipice into which her own tremendous guilt, like a huge phantom from pandemonium, seemed ready to plunge her! Nor less did the wretched woman think how she, so lately the courted and admired —she, the object of so much adoration,—she, who was renowued alike for her beauty and her wealth, —sbe, who even in these modern times might have inspired a whole legion of gallant suitors with the chivalrous devotion of past ages,—yes, how she, the once brilliant Lucrezisa, bad now fallen so very, very low! It was enough to make her dash her bead against a wall or seige a weapon for the purpose of committing suicide—or even drop down aud give up the ghost beneath the weight of such intulerabie calamities! And there- fore it was ia @ yuice of rending anguish, and with Yet , had likewise tended by a variety of means to bring her ill-luck of every description ! Now, from the moment that her husband ro- | Joined her after his last interview with Father Cee eee cee ame Falconara, until that when he was presently sum- moned away again, only a quarter of an hour elapsed; and yet during that quarter of an hour every anguish and agony which the rind and the soul could know, were endured by the wretched Lucrezia! We have heard of the hair of afflicted persons turning grey in a single night; it was a marvel that in the quarter of an hour of which we are speaking, the snows of a sudden old age were pot shed upon the golden auburn hair of Lucrezia, As for Ramorino, he would bave saved her if he could. He would have saved her—even though he now kuew her to be beggared, because he felt that it was better to remove her, if possible, from a scene where, if she remained, destruction and shame werd her inevitable portion! And though he had endeavuured to take precautions to prevent any of that shame from redounding upon himee'f, yet he could not possibly feel confident that the attempt would be ultimately crowned with success. In a word, there were moments wien the Minister of Police —hitherto so culdly calm, so emotionless and so phiegmatic ia al his proceedings—felt as if Ghboo co (©) 5}