Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 383: what you’re looking at

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

| AGNES; OR, BEAUTY ANL PLEASURR. surance that my mother desires to have you as a guest at my maosion—she wiil love and cherieb you “Tam come to bid you farewell, Charies,” inter- rupted the Countess “ Within an hour I shall take my departure trom Sienua.” “ Indeed ¢” ejaculated our hero. speedily P” “Yes,” responded Lucia. “I have no secrets from you: I am about to return forthwith to Turin. My sister has entrusted me to realize all her vast possessions, that she may bestow liberal endowménts upon the church and on other re- ligious institutions. The convent which she has entered will not be forgotten. She offered me none of her wealth, because she knew that I re- quired it not; for I myselfam rich. But she has presented me with her splendid palace at Turin; aod I can assure you, Charles, that it will not be very long before all those secret subterraneans will be bricked up; fur benceforth I bid farewell to all political intrigues that have to be carried on amidst 80 much mystery.” “ And such is precisely my intention,” observed our hero, “* in reference to my own mansion. But you are about to bid me farewell P Remember, Lucia, that there *a ® bond. of eterna) friendship between vse, and when I have conducted my Agnes to the altar, you must come and visit us—you know full well that you will be received aa a wel- come guest ” “ When you sro settled, Charles, with your beautiful wife, end dwolling in the married state, and having your mother likewise with you at that splendid mansion which you possese, I shall indeed bave much pleasure in visiting you. Yes—Qh, yes |" added Lucia fervently ; “ for no one more sincerely wishes you the enjoyment of happiness than I! And now farewell.” Our hero kissed ber on the brow; and again mpy we say, 48 On a tormer occssivn, that it was friendsbip’s kiss, 80 pure, so chasie, that Agnes need not bave been jealous if she had seen it given. And then Lucia fapuired to the apartment where Mrs De Vere was seated with Laura and Mir- tillx ; aud to those indies ber adieux were likewise peid In less thao an bour afterwards the Countess wason her way from Sienna, In the couse of that day the young Count showed G-neral Germipi the document which had been drawn up and signed by Bianca and Lucia; and the Cummandant at once volunteered to trang mit it to tbe Government, backed by a strong letter from his own band. Charles accepted the pro- posal; and the despatches were accurdinyly sent oft without delay to Florence. But let us now give a few explanations of a re- trosp ctive character, The reader will remember that when our hero hastened away trom Fiorence in order to speed to England and obtain an inter- view with Agnes, Lurd Ormsby sent a courier a'ter bim. ‘This courier traced Charles as far as Tuiin ; and there he abruptly lost sight of him. He accordingly returned to Florence, to report to Lord Ormsby the failure of bis mission, Mean- while ten dwys bad elapsed ; and Orwebs, on the return of tbe ccurier, was resolved to proceed with the u'most despaich to Hugland, so that he might by bis presence there eftace the evil impression he bad leit upon the mind of Chories iu Ficrexce. “So soon P so —---ooooO ee ee 375 Orinsby bad in the meanwhile sent off letters to his daughter, to explain how grievously he had been mistaken in falsely accusing Charles ; and he enclosed beneath the same envelpes letters for Charles himself, containing everything that wae suitable and appropriate to the aitered circum. stances of the cuse. But not satisfied with having merely sent these letters, Ormsby set off for Eng- land, as we have already said, so svon as he found that the mission of the courier had proved a failure, and that having tracked our hero to Turin he there utterly lost sight of him. When Lord Ormsby left Florence, he advised Mrs, De Vere to return to Naples, and mae suit- able apologies to the ambassador for her son's con- tinued absence, so that there might be no chance of an unfavourable report being sent concerning him to the Government at home, But scarcely bad Lord Ormsby left Florence—and whie Mrs, De» Vere was beginning to prepare for a return t) Naples—shbe received the letter which Charles hud despatched from the Camerino mansion, acquaint. ing her with the almost fabulous intellivence thut he had become possessed of immense wealth and uf a noble title. Armuzed and delighted with the in- telligerce, Mrs. De Vere set off for her son's country seat: but alas! on arriving there, it was only to receive the sad tidings that he had been arrested a few hours previously and conveyed to Sienna, This was the first intimation she had re- ceived of bis forced complicity in the perilous and sturtling adventures that had been crowned by tho failure at Leghorn. Thus the unfortunate iaiy. when thinking to congratulate her gon for havin: risen to the very height of prosperity, bad found herself borne down into the very vortex of despair, and crushed almost to annihilation by the awful) proceedings at Sienna ! Having given these requisite explanations, we may resume the thread of our narrative. The young Count accepted the hospitalities ot General Germini’s mansion for a couple of days after the tremendous incidents which we have been just re- cording ; because he found it absolutely necessary to allow bis mother an interval of repose to ree cruit her strenyth after the paintully exhausting processes through which she bad passed. It was now our hero’s intentiun to procved with ais mother, to his mansion, But bere we think some of our reagers will exclaim, ‘ Woat! did he uot instantaneously set off to visit his Agnes in Kug- land?” Fuin indeed were he to have fluwn upon the wings of love fur that purpose: but there were several reasons which prevented him. In the first place he would not leave bis mother, who was per- fectly incompetent to undertake so long a journey at present. In the secon place, let it be burne in mind that all the furmalities for putting him in Complete possession of his estates and title were bot yet accumplisned, and that in the course of the next few days it would be requisite tor Lim te siz:n certain documents in the presence of the autborities in the tuwo of C.werino, In the third place, Charles felt very well assured that Lord Ormsby would have no objection, attee everything that bad occurred, to bring bis daughter with the least pussible delay into Lialy; aud our bero experienced @ very natural pride at the idea of weicuwing bis intended bride tu bia ow mansion and estates—to tuose palatial hails MiIGIoOo C© SaGO iin