Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

1 \ ———— a AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. ‘ 17 hi wll , Rh) Sg Pal a WOOSTER > | a fe er Sarees c } SR ~ ‘i Thin a Een SS SAAN Ss RAY \\ i 2 Py SA RS NY \ 4\} I) : rN ‘4 tending either upon the Marchioness or Ciprina according to the special service to which they were respectively attached. The two handmaidens began to prepare the night-toilet of the Marchioness. One addressed herself to the task of combing out the luxuriant masses of her hair, the light golden auburn of which seemed to take different hues, or rather to de- velop different degrees of lustre, as the maiden took up each separate tress and ringlet, and as the light of the lamps poured down upon that superb head. The other maiden began to unfasten the brilliant gems and jewels which had added to the splendour of Lucrezia’s charms at the enter- tainment ; but little thought the girl as she lifted an elegant necklace from the glowing bosom of the Marchioness, that beneath the alabaster skin upon which the gold had rested, beat a heart blackened with crime and tortured with the most horrible feelings! No, 65.—Aenzs. By “ What is that billet lying upon the table !” presently inquired Lucrezia, as her eye now for the first time caught a glimpse of the note. “Tt is for your ladyship,” replied one of the maidens. * Give it me, girl. Who placed it there ?” asked Lucrezia, as on glancing at the address, she perceived that it was a handwriting which was strange to her. “T do not know, my lady,” rejoined the dam. sel: and she glanced inquiringly at her com- panion, “ No—nor I, my lady,” said the latter. ‘ But Teresa and Johanna,” she continued, thus allud- ing to two others of the handmaidens of the es- tablishment, “ arranged the toilet-chamber for the evening ; and possibly it might be one of them who placed the billet there.” The Marchioness had been about to open the envelope, when she was suddenly struck by tho Vor. IL COMmicloo ——e SE ge co 5}