Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 291: what you’re looking at

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

. AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. “ 233 he is—neither does St. Didier himself. He has not seen the man since he sent him hither this evening: but he of course expects to receive some information presently. Ab! I recollect!—and the coincidence is singular! This spy of whom we are talking is a Florentine—he was one of Count Ramorino’s most able and trusty agents.” A sudden light flashed in unto the brain of Charles De Vere; and he could scarcely prevent himself from giving vent to an ejaculation. He however succeeded in retaining a profound silence. * Captain St. Didier told me all this just now,” pursued Floribel. ‘ For my part—though I know nothing of the Princess and her sister—lI should scarcely think they are engaged in a conspiracy: I should be much more inclined to beiieve that the persons who have been secretly admitted into their mansion are gallants with whom they carry on their amours.” “ Well, doubtless time will prove,” said Cherles, carelessly, as if the matter were one of no parti- cular moment to himself. ‘And now, Floribel, can I once more venture to entreat 2 “If you are about to revert to the old story, - Charles,” interrupted the young lady,—“and if you mean to read me a lecture, it is useless, I can assure you! I beseech you therefore to quit the subject at once. My career is ruled by destiny it- self, Let us now separate, I must rejoin St. Didier. He is not jealous of you,” she added, with a smile; “for I have already told him suffi- cient to make him understand how you and I can be intimate together v ** And also,” added De Vere, “ why you chose that I should not fight a duel with Hector Hard- ress P” “Yes. You cannot blame me. It was for your own sake and for the sake of your Agnes that I sought to prevent thie duel. You cannot think that I entertained a moment’s concern on behalf of Mr. Hardress. And now, Charles, fare- well,” She gave him her hand; and murmuring in an impassioned toue, “ May you and Agnes be happy!” she hastened away from him. Charles paced to and fro in the corridor for some few minutes after Floribel had left him; and then he returned into the grand hall, where he beheld the Princess descending the staircase. “I need not ask you, signor,” she said, ag she juined him, “whether you have adhered to your oath. All the former tenour of your conduct has been such as to leaye my mind entirely at rest on that ecore.” “The confidence of your Highness is not mis- placed,” responded our hero. “I will give youa proof of it. Here is a letter which I am most anxious should be delivered to the Hon. Hector Hardress in the course of to-morrow. I might have given it to Madame Lovel, requesting her to forward it, but I considered that by so doing I should be violating one of your Society’s laws, and consequently breaking to a certain extent the oath which I have taken. I will now ask you to take measures that i¢ shall reach its destination. You shalt read its contents; for you are acquainted withthe Inglish language. I must open it, be- cause there is some little alteration which cireum- stances render it necessary I should make in its contents, I have thercin told Hardress that ho is to meet me in a day or two in Franee: but I must now request that he will lose no time in ro- turning to Florence, where he shall next hear of me.” “You speak as if you were determined to desert usat Leghorn?” said the Princess: and.shoe led the way into the parlour where the interview with the police-agent had ere now taken place, “ But I am convinced, on the other hand, you will end by joining us heart and soul.” ““We shall see,” said Charles curtly: and he sat down at the table, on which there were writing materials. Having altered his letter, so as to suit the dif- ferent circumstances in which he was now placed, he handed it to the Princess,—who said, “ lam bound to make myself acquainted with its con- tents in order that I may report accordingly to the Marquis of Ortona presently.—It is well, Signor De Vere,” she said, after a brief pause; and she gave him back the letter. “ Re-seal it— and I promise you that it shall reach Mr. Hard. ress to-morrow.” When this matter was concluded, the Princess led the way back to the apartment where the lacsp with the perfumed oil was burning; and she touched a seeret spring, which caused a bell to ring down below. Almost iramediately afterwards the table in the centre began to move—the floor opened—and the Countess di Milazzo made her appearance. She beckoned Charles Do Vere to descend; and as he followed her down the myste- rious stairease, the Princess of Spartiyento re- turned to join her guests. CHAPTER XLII. THE SPY. Tre Countess asked our hero to explain what had tuken place between himself and the police official ; but he simply assured her that everything had progressed in that quarter with due regard to the oath he had taken and the safety of the secret Society. She conducted him into the guard-room, with the request that he would wait there until the conclave should desire his presence ; and she herself hastened to rejoin that assembly. There were now only three or four persons ia the guard-room; and amongst them were the two who had held the swords over Do Vere’s head when he took the oath in the chamber of the waxen figures. His eyes sottled upon one of those two men; and he ejaculated to himself, “ Yes—'tis he!” He was deliberating whether he should address the individual or not, when the man of his own accord accosted him; and drawing him aside, said, “I have now at length an opportunity of expressing a hope that there is no ill-will between Signor De Vere and myself ?” As the man thus spoke, Charles noticed that several of his front teeth were missing ; and he failed’ no? to recollect how he had dashed them out on knocking the fellow down on the occasion of the gross insult which he levelled against him at the gate of the British Embassy. “Ab, I thought I recollected you!” said De COMmiclbook a See (©) 5