Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 173: what you’re looking at

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

+ > - 2S Senior ee ee AGNES; OB, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. SN ssn 165 the late Marchioness that he had surreptitiously and dishonestly obtained possession of certain valuable pictures which were in the Mirano man- sion, and that this he did last night at a time when it is proved that he knew there were warrants of arrest and confiscation in the hands of the autho- rities for the seizure of the person and the pro- the pictures which Ramorino surreptitiously ob- tained from the Mirano mansion, was the portrait of Lucrezia Borgia !” “Ah!” ejaculated Ciprina. “TI feel a sort of superstitious awe when you mention the name of that picture: for it always seemed to have an ominous association with the Marchioness. Ah! perty of the woman whom he had just privately! many, many things do I now recall to my mind, married. But this is not all! to the Government moneys; and if this be the case, it will asauredly go very hard with him.” “And no one will pity him!” interjected Ci- prina. “ But tell me, M. Marcellin ve “Ah! M. Marcellin again?” ejaculated the young Frenchman, in a tone of reproach. * Tell me,” continued Ciprina, taking no heed of the interruption, “ was any wonder expressed that I did not go forward to give my evidence before the Judge?” ** No,” answered Edgar; “ because in respect to the attempt at poisoning on the part of the Mar- chioness, there was the statement to which you had appended your signature, and which was attested by the British Envoy. Ags for all the other details that you might have given in evidence, they were equally well known to me, and my narrative sufficed. Besides, the Judge evidently appreciated the delicacy of your position,—having lived with the Marchioness so long a time as you had done— having been so intimate with her 2 * Well,” interposed Ciprina, ‘I am glad that ~I escaped an ordeal which certainly would have been more or less painful for me. But what else have you to relate 2” _ “I think that I have told you all,” responded ' Marcellin, —“ unless I ought to add that the Judge gummed up all the particulars in the most lucid / manner ; and in conclusion he pronounced the late | Marchioness di Mirano to have been guilty of an attempt to poison yourself and me, and guilty also of the murder of Giulio Paoli. Thus was I myself honourably acquitted—even if it could be said that my own reputation was ever really at stake upon the point; for it is scarcely possible that Ramorino himself could have believed me guilty when he issued the warrant for my arrest.” “‘And thus the judicial investigation is at an end?” said Ciprina. “But has anything been done with Ramorino P” “The Judge had no power to pronounce any sen- tence upon a Minister,” rejoined Marcellin: “ for that Minister is indeed of higher rank than the Judge himself. But doubtless the Grand Duke will visit Ramorino with his severest displeasure. Ah! I forgot to mention, Ciprina, that the steward of the Mirano mansion received an order to deliver up to you whatsoever effects may be yours within the walls of that dwelling.” “And in reference to the death of the Mar- chioness,” inquired Ciprina, “has any fresh light been shed upon it ?” “ Judge for yourself,” exclaimed Edgar, “ when you hear what I am about to tell you! It is be- yond all doubt that she was endeavouring to escape by the roof at the time she met her death ; for some of the agents of the Minister of the Interior who forced their way into Ramorino’s house, discovered a door open leading upon the leads. And what ic most singular is that amongst SS A i ee galt PRN aac Oe IA EPO PRD aa A ae RO It is likewise | which she said to me on various occasions in con- whispered that Ramorino is a defaulter in respect | nexion with that portrait! But what were you about to tell me?” “‘ That it may probably have been one of the last objects on which her eyes glanced in this life; for it must have faced her, so to speak, when she was upon the leads!—she must have seen it through a win- dow!” “And who can tell,” interjected Ciprina, “ but that a sudden horror—a superstitious terror per- haps—may have seized upon the wretched woman ; and—and But Oh, no !” exclaimed the young lady, thus suddenly interrupting herself, and placing her hands before her eyes; “I cannot suffer my imagination to look upon anything so dreadful! Let us speak of something else. Where is Mr. De Vere P” “He is at the Ambassador’s,” replied Mar- cellin. ‘ But just now you said that you had something to tell me % “‘T remember,” ejaculated Ciprina, “I told you that I would explain wherefore I addressed you as M. Marcellin, and not in the same familiar terms as heretofore. Do you remember that night when Charles De Vere was to come stoalthily to the Mirano mansion—you lay in bed—I was seated by the side of the couch—and you gave a species of vague, dreamy, and unconscious expression to your thoughts—and you spoke of Agnes, the Beauty of ~— —a — —— { ' | | Sidney Villa—and you said that you had heard of | ”» her cousin Floribel “Oh!” ejaculated Marcellin, as a sudden sus- picion struck him. “Good heavens! is it possible? You, Ciprina—you ——” “Yes,” she responded in a tremulous voice; “I am Floribel Lister! Ob, you must have sooner or later learnt it from the Hardress family; for doubtless you are now acquainted with them!” “And yow are Floribel Lister!” said Marcellin, still under the effect of the sudden amazement which had seized upon him. “Qh! Corinna said Hy But he stopped suddenly short, and a scarlet glow mantied upon his cheeks. It was now Flori- bel’s turn to start; and she gazed earnestly spon his countenance, the colour at the same time coming and going in rapid transitions upon her own cheeks. “That name of Corinna!” she said, at length breaking silence, and speaking in a low tremulous voice,—“ it is not the first time you have mentioned it with emotion ! to which I just now referred—when you were un- consciously giving a dreamy e£pression to the ideas that were vaguely hovering in your mind,—you | spoke of Corinna! you said that she was beautiful! Ah, now I comprehend it all! You love her! you love her!” “ Listen to me, Floribel!—for by this name T must now call you,” said Edgar Marcellin; “ and let there be the completest frankness and candour between us,” lNOOLKS No! on that very same occasion | —— eee, o(GO) nn