Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 312: what you’re looking at

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

Se eee ee cee —_———e ee 75m Sak AGNES; OB, BBAUTY AND FLEASUBE. es another hour the salient features of the Tuscan | tions for the landing were speedily commenced seaport might be easily descried. Nearer and | The firearms were placed in the boats; but in the nearer did the vessel bear its armed freight ; and | enthusiasm which filled their souls, some of the as our hero glanced around him, he beheld a | conspirators drew their swords and began to joyous enthusiasm depicted on all the countenances | brandish them fiercely as if already engaging with which met his eyes, an enemy. “ My prophecy will come true,” said the Prin- “Now,” thought Charles to himself, “is the cess, approaching him for a moment and hastily | time for me to inspire the belief that I am alto- flinging at him these emphatically whispered words, | gether with them :”’—and he accordingly flourished “You are burning to play a noble part, and you | his own brand as he descended the ship’s side. will be our’s heart and soul!” The sisters were already in the boat which Charles could not repress a shudder as that | he wasentering: he caught their looks. The woman spoke to him: he blamed himself for it— | Princess was surveying him with an unmistakable he thought that he judged her harshly and cruelly | air of proud admiration, as she might have looked —but still he could not help it! It wasa relief to | upon a husband or a brother—while the Countess him when she glided away to another part of the | was regarding him with a softer and more sub- deck; and he sincerely hoped that he had suc- | dued expression, though not less glowing with eeeded in veiling from her the strong repugnance | enthusiam. and aversion with which she still inspired him. It was ten o’clock in the morning—in the broad A few minutes after he met the Countess of Mi- | daylight—with the sun shining, that the three or lazzo as he was proceeding to speak tothe Marquis | four boats carrying the conspirators, put off from of Ortona, who had just beckoned to him; and | theship. The gleaming of their weapons could be he could not help saying, “I think your ladyship | observed from the shore: but this was in reality a would do well to reflect, seriously and for the last | matter of no consequence-— because even if the time, whether you will venture ashore until you at | arms had been concealed, the disembarkation of so least ascertain that there is some chance of suc- | large a number of men from one ship and all at cess,” the same time, would have naturally excited the The beautiful eyes of the Countess bent upon | suspicion of the authorities. The boats pulled our hero a look of reproach for a moment—and | hastily towards the Mole, where a number of sol- then their expression seemed te melt into the soft- | diers were being drawn up, and in the neighbour- ness of gratitude, as she said, “ What, signor! you | hood of which numbers of people were collecting would have me keep aloof during the storm, but | in all convenient places. The idea of the con- rush in when the sunshineappears? Ah! and yet | spirators was that the populace were thus throng- I know that it is from the best of motives that you | ing in order to welcome and succour them; and give me this counsel! I[ have not forgotten, sig- | they exchanged amongst themselves expressions nor, your promise of last night—that you would | replete with enthusiastic hope. keep a protecting eye over myself and—and—my “If it be so,” mentally ejaculated Charles, “the sister !” work may be short and the enterprise successful: Charles was about to correct her by declaring | but if the contrary be the case, it is certain that he had given no such promise in reference to | failure!” her sister, when he suddenly perceived how rude, He was now compelled to look closely at two foolish, and strange such a remark would appear. | alternatives which presented themselves like phan- He therefore hastened to exclaim, ‘“‘ Rest assured, | toms before him—but by no means for the first signora, that wherever I own obligations I am not | time since he had found himself so seriously in- unmindful of them! No, no! I will fulfil | volved in this enterprise. The spectres to which them !” we allude were death or capture; and our hero The Countess blushed slightly—she hesitated | felt that his fate balanced most uncomfortably be- | for a moment—she became plunged in a still deeper | tween these evil genii. For, to tell the truth, he confusion ; and then she said murmuringly and | had no faith ia the sudden explosion of the popular tremulously, “ You have not told my sister that— | enthusiasm in favour of the expedition, unless in- that—I visited you stealthily in the guard-room ?” | deed the veritable democratic cry should be raised And Charles answered as he had previously re- | loudly eneugh. plied to the Princess :—“ No; I deemed it to bea But we must not waste time in description ; secret that must be kept sacred even from your | for we now come to events as startling and rapid sister !” in their succession as the volleys of musketry The beautiful eyes of the Countess flung upon | which presently burst forth from the harbour and bim a-look which showed how grateful she was | from the boats. As the conspirators drew nigh, for the relief which was just given to her mind; | the Colonel commanding the troops demanded who and they again separated. Charles hastened to | they were. join the Marquis of Ortona, who said to him, “We will tell you when we land,” responded “You will keep near me; for the moment is ap- | the Marquis of Ortona. proaching when the strict discipline of the So- “Then ye are traitors!” cried the Colonel ; ciety is to be renewed !” “ and ye must keep off, or I will fire upon you!” Our hero bowed; and as he glanced along “ Soldiers!” vociferated the Marquis, standing the deck, he perceived that the conspirators were | up in the boat and addressing the military drawn arranging themselves in pairs, according to the | up on the Mole, “ we come in the cause of Italian way in which they had been coupled in the subter- | freedom!” ranean hallin Turin. The vessel put in as close “Present! Fire !” thundered the Colonel : and as was convenient to the harbour of Leghorn: | his mandate was at once obeyed. the boats were quickly lowered ; and the prepara- “By heaven, they are with us!” ejaculated ’ COMMGC HOOKS. GOK