Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 390: what you’re looking at

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

ee ee ee Se — EN 352 AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. fallen from Floribel’s eyes! Ar hour elapsed be- fore sleep revisited our gentle heroine; and then all that had just occurred was enacted over again in her visions. She arose a little later than her usual hour, pale snd dispirited: she hastened to Mrs. De Vere’s chamber, and told her what had oceurred, The wortby lady consoled her as well as she was able ; and presently Lord Ormeby and Charles were like- wise made acquainted with the incident of the preceding night. Need we say that they were all greatly surprised and affected? And now, inas- wuch as Floribel had so far prepared the mind of Agnes to receive whatsoever revelations wero in store for her, it was deemed expedient by Lord Ormsby and the young Count that the veil of secrecy should be fully lifted from the antecedents of the erring girl, so that Agnes might not be some day fearfully shocked by the abrupt discovery that Floribel and Ciprina were one and the same person, For throughout Italy the name of Ci- prina was associated with that of the Marchioness di Mirano as an example of the utmost disso- luteness and profligacy. And thus Agnes now learnt the sad tale. She was deeply sfflicted—and she wept bitterly. It was a blow to her happiness for the time being; but heaven be thanked! it was the o”e drawback amidst many sources of bliss—and its effects soon passed off amidst the representations and the con- evlings that were addressed to her by her father, ber lover, and his mother. On examining the subterraneans, a door was found, open, in the hall of assembly, and the exist- ence of which had been previously unknown to our hero. It opened by means of a spring which could be touched on either side. It communicated with a staircase leading up to the chamber which had hitherto been occupied by Agnes. That cham- ber had a panel-paper, and the mysterious door was exactly of the size to fit one of the panels, all ot which had narrow raised borders of rosewood with thin gold beadings. It was thus easy for the existence of that’ door to be concealed. Charles shuddered when he thought of his beloved Agnes having been consigned to that chamber, to which any other person acquainted with the secret (and there were no doubt many amongst the political confederation that had once held its head-quarters there) might have possibly ascended. He lost no time in setting masons to work throughout the subterranean region; and while the alterations were in progress, the young Count set off to F'lo- rence, in company with his mother, his intended bride, and her father, that the nuptials might be solemnized in the chapel of the British Embassy i the Tuscan capital. —— CHAPTER LXVII. BOULOGNE-SUR-MER- Tse scene now shifts to an hotel at Boulogne and the incidents we are about to relate are con- temporaneous with those which occupied the latter portion of the preceding chapter—that is to say, towards the middle of January, 1850. In a sitting- apartment at that hotel, the Hon, Mrs. Hardress was lounging upon a sofa in front of a fire of blazing logs; and she was giving way to her ree flections, although she held a book in her hand. It was between two and three o’clock in the after- noon; and Cicely was alone. Let it be borne in mind that it was about seven weeks since we took leave of her in Florence, at the time when she had so signally failed in her libidinous overtures to- wards our hero, Presently, as Mrs. Hardress was still in the midst of her meditations, without paying the slightest heed to the book which she held in her hand, the door suddenly opened, and her husband Hector made his appearance. That they had not met since they parted in Florence, after making that compact so outrageously immoral, the reader may judge from the conversation which spoedily ensued. “Ah, Heetor!” ejaculated Cicely, giving him her hand, without offering to embrace him. “So you've come at last?” “Well,” he replied, “ did I not write and tell you I would be at about this date at Boulogne? You must have got that letter-——-” “To be sure,” answered Cicely; “or else how would it be possible that I should now be here to meet you? But tell me, how have you fared ?” “ Baffled — beaten — utterly discomfited — and that’s the truth of it,”’ rejoined Hector. “I have been hunting everywhere for tho fair one—but all to no purpose. I wrote and told you how I was put into prison at Turin A: “ Yes—on account of your meeting with—with De Vere,” interjected Cicely, a quick flush crossing her countenance. “ But you were soon released— were you bot?” “Yes: and then Floribel had disappeared from the hotel] where I first found her. De Vere had disappeared also: but the next day I received a letter from him, telling me that if I still wished to receivé satisfaction at his hands, I must return to Florence, where he should most probably be enabled to meet me in a few days. His letter was cautiously and mysteriously worded :—and no wonder! for at that very time, you see, Cicely, be was engaged with the conspirators in the affair which subsequently made so great a noise through- out the world.” “What notice did you take of his letter?” in- quired Mrs, Hardress: and again the quick flush crossed her countenance. | “What notice did I take of it?” he ejaculated somewhat impatiently. “* Why, only a civil notice, to be suro! There were two or three reasons. In the first piace I stupidly let out to Floribel that you and I had made a certain compact; and as a matter of course I felt assured that she would tell Do Vere everything that passed between us. Well, then I received your letter which expressed no very kind feeling towards De Vere; so that I per- fectly understood therefrom you had failed with him as I had failed with Floribet.” “Yes, yes,” said Cicely ; and for a moment she bit her full rich lips almost until the blood eame, “Proceed, Hector. You said there were two or three reasons ” cy “There certainly was another—but apart from the rest it would have had little weight with me. You see, Cicoly, you and I have both placed our- selves so completely in that young fellow’s power, COMMicloolk< S|