Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 44: what you’re looking at

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

: 38 had she seemed more admirably beautiful to the eyes of Edgar Marcellin!—and he was at the mo- ment struck by the fact that there was somethisg ethereal in her loveliness—something that denoted the sentiment independent of the sense—the sub- limation of fine feelings above a voluptuous gross- ness! Then Marcellin again shut his eyes thathe might give way to his reflections; for he could not at the moment address a syllable to Ciprina: he felt that if he did, he should inevitably betray to her the thoughts that were passing in his mind. Edgar was a thorough man of the world, and un- derstood well the human heart. What, he asked himself, could have given Ciprina that aspect for a moment? Did he not know that she was ofa nature luxuriously sensuous ?—how then did her features shine with the radiance of a chaste and holy light at that instant? A little meditation soon enabled him to solve the mystery. Ciprina was learning to love him with a feeling that was new to herself !—loving him az one whom she had rescued from death—raised up as it were from the dead—and on whom therefore she would have an immense claim for the rest of his existence! These reflections troubled Edgar Marcellin, and he saw that when the time gor explanations should come, the task would prove even more painful than he had at first anticipated. But let us pursue the thread of our narrative. I¢ was near midnight—and still Ciprina sat by the couch of the patient. Antonia had long be- fore been dismissed to her own chamber; and therefore the outer door of Ciprina’s suite of rooms was carefully secured. Edgar Marcellin— who for the last two or three hours had not been able to elose his eyes in slumber again, on account of the thoughts that were occupying him—hsd nevertheless pretended all this while to be asleep. He now slowly opened his eyes, and he perceived that Ciprina’s lids were drooping heavily and that her head was reclining upon her bosom, as if she were yielding to the irresistible influence of drowsi- ess. But all ina moment she started, with that nstinctive feeling which makes the watcher aware | that the sick one who is watched is looking up| from the pillow:—and now Ciprina bent her re- gards all luminous with love upon Edgar Marcellin. “You have had a long sleep,” she said, in her most gentle accents: “may I hope that it has been refreshing ?” “Yes, Ciprina,” he murmured: “ I feel now so much better—you know not how much better I feel! And in a very few minates I shall sink off into slamber again “ “Ob, I am rejoiced to hear you speak thus hopefully!” murmured Ciprina. “But you, my kind and affectionate nurse,” said Marcellin ; “ you must stand in need of rest ? Oh! Iam sure you must! Pray do not tell me that it is otherwise, Ciprina! Do I not know that the whole of last night was a sleepless one for you ?—do I not know likewise that through- out this day you have been harassed on my ac- count? In short, Ciprina, you must be ready to eink with weariness; and if you pass this night without an hour’s repose or rest, your strength will fail you AGNES; OB, BEAUTY ANP PLEASURE. “No, my kind friend,” interrupted Marecellio, “it is now my turn to say that itis notso! [I know what your inclination is: but your physical power is another thing. I beseech you, Ciprina, to take at least a few hours of repose! If you were to be enfeebled by these vigils—if you were to be thrown upon a bed of sickness—who would attend upon me ?” Ciprina was struck by the truth conveyed by this question; and she murmured to herself, “ Yes, indeed! if I were prostrated by exhaustion, who would minister unto hia: ?—who would pro- tect him? Would he not fall an easy victim to the dagger or the poison of that vile woman if she thought fit to make another attempt upon his life ?” “ Believe me, dear Ciprina,” said Mareellin, urzently and entreatingly, “ you may in all safety retire for a few hours! Slumber will soon settle again upon my own eyelids; and indeed my mind will become all the more tranquil if I know thas you are not exhausting yourself on my account.” “ Well then, Edgar,” answered the young lady, “Twill do as you desire. I shall withdraw into the adjacent chamber, and there repose for a few hours. Bat here is your cooling beverazge—here too isa bell which I place at your bedside—and you will be sure to ring it if you require any- thing. And now compose yourself to sleep again,” Ciprina bent down and kissed her patient’s brow. She had several times before bestowed kisses upon him since he lay stretched on that couch; but those were always on the lips. Woe, as we a said, it was on the forehead that the caress was imprinted; and the circumstance was to Edgar’s mind a corroboration of the idea which he nad formed in respect to the refined sentiment that Ciprina was entertaining towards him. The young lady filled a tumbler with lemonade —she also placed a little silver bell on the table by the side of Edgar’s couch: she then withdrew into the next room, leaving the door of ecommu- nication partly open, so that she could not possibly fail to hear the summons of that bell. We must observe that the chamber occupied by Edgar Mar. eellin was the fourth or innermost one of the suite—while that into which Ciprma now retired was consequently the third. Next came the boudoir, or elegantly furnished sitting-room ; and then the ante-chamber. The reader will be pleased to bear these circumstances in mind. It was in the chamber to which Ciprina had now withdrawn, that she had suspended the por- trait of Lucrezia Borgia. As she disapparelled herself, she contemplated that portrait, thus apos- trophizing it in her thoughts:—“ If by any acei- dent, means, or chance, she of whom thou wast the prototype were to penetrate into this chamber with iniquitous design, she would start beck in horror on beholding thee! Be thou therefore unto me, as well as “unto him over whom I watch, —be thou a talisman and a n!—for it was for this purpose that I brought thee hither and pleced thee there!” Having disapparelled herself, Ciprina combed out the long luxuriant masses of her raven hair; “Qh, fear not that it will be so!” exclaimed | and when her night-toilet was completed, she en- Ciprina. your couch, will my energies endure ” “So long as it is necessary to watch by | tered her bed. She koew that if she only slept thus for a single hour it would be more refreshing LNOOLKS co