Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 43: what you’re looking at

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re ce eS ee SE ee —- AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. 35 she passed into the boudoir ; and here she paused| Some hours passed away; and Edgar Marcellin to listen. Everything that was taking place be-| slept calmly for a while after that long discourse tween Edgar Marcellin and Ciprina was now] with Ciprina, and after having somewhat ex- plainly audible; and Lucrezia—riveted to the / hausted himself by the explanations he had given. spot close by the threshold of the boudojr’s inner | The wound, so far as the young lady could judge, door—dravk in the whole discourse. She judged | had a perfectly satisfactory appearance: and inas- from something which Ciprina said, that the | much as Edgar had just slept with so much tran- young lady did inceed mean to keep her promise | quillity, she thought that it would be unnecessary and do the best sho could to shield her ; and for a| to apply to La Dolfina for any fresh medicament, moment Lucrezia experienced a feeling of relief.) At all events Ciprina knew that it was easy for But then the next instant Edgar Marcellin proved | her to slip forth at any moment and visit the by his own excited language that he himself was | wise-woman, no matter at what hour of the night implacable ; and Lucrezia’s blood ran cold with | it might be. borror. Then Marcellin soon began to enter on As she sat by Edgar Marcellin’s couch, after ho those explanations which we have already laid be- | had awakened from this last slumber to which we fore our readers. Lucrezia listened with increas- | have alluded, she could not help feeling towards ing wonderment, horror, and dread: for she now | him a degree of tenderness such as for no other for the first tinfe learnt that she had been all along | person had she ever experienced. She bezan to suspected by Lisetta. Yes! and she mow learnt | comprehend that it was indeed something different too the nature and variety of the proofs which | from the passions that had hitherto been excited had been gathered against her: but there was| within her bosom,—very different likewise from again a momentary sensation of relief on hearing | everything she had felt at the time when Edgar it admitted by Edgar Marcellin that these proofs | Marcellin was first clasped in her arms at the were insufficient to condemn her in the presence | villa in the Vale of Arno. Could it be that she of a tribunal of justice. She heard on to the end, | was experiencing the germs of a pure and chaste —down to the point where Marcellin left off |love for the young FrenchmanP Yes—she fan- speaking at the close of the preceding chapter. | cied that it must be so; and as the idea gradually Yes — and the young Frenchman’s last words | expanded in her mind, it imparted a glow to her struck with the violence of a blow upon her | countenance—it infused into her eyes a purer and heart ; for he had declared that the day must in. | holier light than had there shone for a long time evitably come when retribution should overtake | past—and it gave an ethereal effect to the other- the murderess ! wise sensuous style and voluptuous character of And all the time that Edgar was giving his ex- | her beauty. planations to Ciprina, did Lucrezia di Mirano re- Now, at this interval of which we are speaking, main a listener in that boudoir. She was riveted | Edgar Marcellin was again endeavouring, at Ci- to the spot :—but how manifold were the transi- | prina’s urgent entreaty, to compose himself to tions of strong feelings and emotions which during | sleep; for she knew well that it was complete that space she experienced! At length, so soon | mental tranquillity that he most required, and that as Ciprina began to bid Edgar Marcellin put a|his thoughts when awake must naturally pro- seal upon his lips for the present, Lucrezia glided | duce a pernicious physical excitement. Marcellin back again to the secret door in the wainscot: | closed his eyes in order. to please his tender and she closed that door—she groped her way along the darkness of the stone passage—she descended the spiral staircase—and in a few minutes she regained her boudoir, unperceived by a soul. “Now I know everything!” she mentally ejacu- lated, as she flung herself upon a seat * yea, everything! To what conclusion must I come P That Marcellin possesses suflicient proofs to con- demn me? or that I may take courage and defy him? No, no! I have not the power to hurl de- fiance at him! May he not stand forward and accuse me of having attempted his life?—and no longer an inclination for sleep. He lay think- ing upon all that had recently happened,—won- dering what course he should have to pursue in order to bring the Marchioness ‘to justice, and how long it was likely he should be stretched upon that couch. And then he thought of Co- rinna Paoli, the beautiful Neapolitan girl, who had won his heart, and the death of whose brother Giulio he had sworn to avenge! A painful feel- ing crept over him as he thus thought of Corinna, Would not Ciprina claim his allegiance after will not this be sufficient to condemn me of the! having saved his life? But on the other hand, other crime likewise? And then too, Ciprina; was it at ali necessary that-he should study the might be won over by Marcellin—she might state | feelings of the woman whom he had only known what took place between herself and me in the | as a mistress and whom he could look upon as but picture-gallery : it would be construed into a com. | little better than a courtezan, in preference to the plete admission of my guilt and the deed would | feelings of the young girl, who was pure, chaste, be brought home tome! Then what am I to do? | and virtuous? Nevertheless, it did pain Edgar Can I be safe while they live ?—or must they not | Marcellin to reflect that the day must come when die in order that I way feel secure ?” he should be compelled to tell Ciprina the truth— But let us not dwell any longer upon the medi-| to part from her for ever—and perhaps thereby tations of the wretched woman. Suffice it to say | to plungo a dagger into her heart. that having already taken the first steps on the While these ideas were harassing him, he pathway of crime, she found it impossible to re- | slowly opened his eyes and looked up at Ciprina. treat—but on the contrary, that sho was impelled | Her own regards were at the moment averted forward asif by the irresistible necessity of per- | from hia countenance: she was looking upward in petratme fresh iniquities to conceal the former|a species of rapture at those new sentiments onen? which had been stealing into her mind. Never ee affectionate nurse; but at that time he had really, a ee See ee ea a 8 rs 8 ee me wm ir ew. ~-* —— —— . , eens oe ' eee nk . £7 e ee ee ee COMmmicloooks (©) 5}