Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

14 proceedings, whatever they may be! Remember that it is my son who is to be avenged !” * And he shall be avenged !” cried Marcellin, “TI have sworn it to Corinna—I swear it now to you! The Marchioness ea “Ob, the Marchioness! The vile wretch !” ejaculated Paoli: “to affect to bestow her sym- pathy on me! And now I understand it all! Yes—yes—! can read her insidious conduct! Ah! and this gold which she gave me! Ob, asa gift it was indeed a worthy sequence to her vile stratagem in procuring an order for my extra- dition !” Gold?” said Marcellin: “did she give you gold P” “Yes!—doubtless to ensure the certainty of my departure from the Tuscan capital! She knew that the Minister of Police might fulminate the mandate ordering me to flee: but if the feathers were wanting wherewith to accomplish such flight 4 “Do you not see, my good friend,” asked Mar- cellin, “how wily is this woman, and what an amount of caution must be used in dealing with her? I beseech you, leave it all in my hands!” * Yes, my young friend—it shall be left in your hands! do as you think fit! Come to me with the announcement that justice will have its due, and I shall embrace you! But, Oh! this gold— this gold! it seems to be an intolerable weight ! it seems to be a bribe purchasing my connivance at the death of my beloved son! Happen what will, I must relieve myself of the burden!” Having thus spoken, it was in a species of frenzy that the Neapolitan refugee rushed out of the avenue of evergreens and sped fleet as an arrow towards that side of the mansion which looked upon the pleasure-grounds. Edgar Mar- cellin, utterly at a loss to conceive what Paoli purposed to do, and horribly frightened lest he should by some act of madness compromise him- self—compromise everything also—darted in pur- suit. But Paoli went onward as if if were a mere stripling, lithe and agile, that was coursing along the gravel walks—rushing over the par- terres, and bounding amidst the bushes. Right underneath the long array of shining casements on the first floor did Paoli suddenly stop short; and then, with all the vehemence of the most fiery indignation, he sent the purse whizzing and spinning from his hand as if it were a missile pro- jected from a sling. The reader has already seen the effect which it produced throughout the saloon into the midst of which it burst; and no sooner was the crash of the glass heard, when Paoli was suddenly smitten with an idea of the rashness of the proceeding. “ Madman!” ejaculated Edgar Marcellin; “what have you done? Come quick! come quick !” Once more was the Neapolitan refugee reduced to the condition of an automaton in the hands of the young Frenchman. Edgar, though fearfully excited, lost not his presence of mind. He fancied that there might be a quick search instituted throughout the grounds; he knew not how the Marchioness might take the incident ; he could not possibly foresee that her own presence of mind would be so marvellous as to enable her to check everything beyond that ordinary emotion which | ee mene ee AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, might seem to be the natural result of such an outrage. Therefore, he anticipated the worst. He pictured to himself the whole company rushing forth—the vast establishment of domestics pouring out into the grounds—the sbirri summoried—the entire enclosure of the gardens becoming rapidly alive with a host of indignant pursuers after the author of the proceeding. . His mind was in an instant made up how to act. Fortunately the Neapolitan was now docile and pliant, ready to obey him in whatsoever he might suggest. “This way!” he said: “quick! quick! and all will yet be well!” Towards the boundary-wall they sped. Mar- cellin knew along which avenue it was expedient to hasten: he had frequently been in those gardens in the days when he was a visitor at the Mirano mansion; and he recollected where a group of trees might afford a ladder for the purpose of escape. Sdme of these trees projected their large boughs over the wall itself; Edgar made Paoli climb up first:.—with cat-like agility he followed— and in a few moments they were in the street. “Return to your lodgings !—haste!” he cried. “Tf you reach them in safety, all will be weil! Lucrezia will not dare tell the tale which shall compromise you! I will rejoin you there in the course of the night. Leave everything to me!” The young Frenchman wrung the hand of the Neapolitan; and they separated, dashing off in different directions. An hour afterwards Edgar Marcellin, still closely muffled in his cloak, and with his counte- nance concealed by the huge cape which he folded as it were beneath the brims of his hat, returned into the neighbourhood of the Mirano mansion, to ascertain, if possible, what effect the incident of the purse had produced upon the com- pany assembled at that palatial dwelling. Skirt- ing the exterior of the boundary-wall over which himself and Paoli had leapt, he gazed upon the array of lighted-windows. The roseate flood of lustre was still streaming forth——the sounds of music were wafted to his ear—and through the draperies his eye could just discern the figures of the dancers. He had fancied it was possible that the party might have been broken up by the occure rence of the purse: he had pictured to himself the Marchioness fainting—contusion, dismay, and bewilderment following. But no!—it did not seem as if any such serious results had ensued,— at least so far as he could judge from the fact that the entertainment was evidently progressing as if no untoward incident had interrupted it, Edgar Marcellin was, as the reader already knows, a thorough man of the world: he was shrewd and keen-witted. It therefore quickly struck him that Lucrezia had treated the occurrence with the utmost presence of mind—that suddenly feeling her position to become desperate, she had nerved herself with all her courage—and that she was all in a moment smitten with the necessity of avert- ing suspicion for the presént, trusting to the chapter of accidents for the ensurance of safety and: security for the future. “Therefore,” said Marcellin to himself, “ my plan remains as it was at the boginning, and no- thing need be changed!” © He now, by means of two or three little indens tations which he discovered in the wall, obtained chook | | i { (€©) 5}