Agnes, or, Beauty and Pleasure — page 84: what you’re looking at

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

"6 AGNES; OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. little ; for his thoughts were still most suspense- | an instant before seemed to be plunging down fully balanced betwixt hope and fear. into the abysm of despair, now suddenly bounded “And yet,” he suddenly exclaimed, “ what if with hopefulness when the form of the priest ap- everythirg must be regarded on the brighter side, | peared upon the threshold. And how strange ! —ought I to be unprepared? There can be no | No !—was it strange? or was it & sign—a good harm in making such preparation! I need not | omen—a hint ?—for the ecclesiastic carried his build entirely wpom the realization of the hope; | kerchief to his face! and thus, if it fail, I shall not be utterly crushed| ‘ Your reverence seems to have a bad cold,” by disappointment !” said the turnkey. Having thus made up his mind to a particular “Yes,” replied Father Faleconara: “it has course of action, Charles began to tear up some | flown to my eyes. But my duties must be per- portion of his bedding; and he twisted the strips | formed; and if Number Twenty-nine be really into the form of strong ropes. The task occupied | indisposed, it may possibly arise from mental per- an hour: he was full of excitement while it lasted | turbation, which needs my soothing offices.” —but when it was over, he was almost inclined| ‘ When shall I return, holy sir ?” inquired the to yield to despondency; for he thought to him. | turnkey. self, “This priest, so conscientious—who eee “In half-an-hour,” rejoined the ecclesiastic. himself so full of remorse for a transgression | “ Be not a minute later; for I have other duties which surely under the circumstances was not eo | to perform this evening, and which will take me very great—will he now come forward, and stifling | outside the castle walls so soon as I shall have some scruples of conscience, assist me to regain | finished with the prisoner here.” my freedom? Heaven grant that it beso! If, The young priest entered—the turnkey closed, he return this evening, the matter will be placed | locked, and bolted the door—and now Charles was beyond all doubt:—it may be regarded as a cer- | ready to spring forward and throw his arms about tainty !” | the neck of the ecclesiastic whom he already looked Slowly and wearily passed the time: the dusk | upon as his deliverer. His heart thrilled with the began to close in—and then at about six o’clock wildest joy, for he had no longer any doubt that the turnkey re-appeared. This time he came with ‘the whole of that conversation in reference to an intimation that De Vere was at liberty to walk | the supposed circumstances of an escape, was in- in the court-yard for a couple of hours. Our hero | tended as suggestive for his own special mode of was on the point of availing himself of the offer, | action. when the sudden thought struck him that the; “I learnt that you were indisposed, Number turnkey might during his absence examine the | Twenty-nine,” said Father Falconara, with a calm bedding, in which case he would detect under the | unrufiled countenance ; “and therefore came to visit coverlid the preparations that had been made. | you.” Charles was seated upon the pallet at the moment | “And I cannot do otherwise than express my when the man entered; he declined the offer to | sincerest—most fervid—most heartfelt gratitude,” walk in the court-yard—complained of being exclaimed Charles, “for the generosity—the > somewhat indisposed—and threw himself down | “Your language, Number Twenty-nine,” inter- upon the bed. The turnkey’s assistant entered | rupted Father Falconara, with a species of cold with a supply of coffee and dry bread, after the | severity, “is enthusiastic beyond all rational or fashion of the morning’s meal; and he placed a/| legitimate bounds. I must request that you do not candle upon the table. address me in such terms—because it would really “In a couple of hours, I shall come,” said the | seem as if I had done you some favour or shown turnkey, “ to take away the light. If you then | you some act of friendship beyond the limits of feel that your indisposition increases, you may be | my duty 2 visited by the medical attendant.” “Pardon me, holy father!” said Charles, who “Oh, it is nothing so serious as all that!” an-| saw that the young priest’s scruples must be swered Charles: “it is only a sense of exhaustion | studied and respected even to the very letter. “I arising from the fatigues of last night, which was | perceive that I thanked you for something which not merely sleepless, but spent in all kinds of ad- | after all you were bound to accomplish, and which ventures.” may be considered within the scope of your The turnkey withdrew; and an hour passed | duties,” away, during which our hero was hanging onthe| ‘“ Yes—it is so,’ answered the ecclesiastic. “I tenter-hooks of suspense. Would the priest a will kneel down and pray by the side of this . —did he mean to come P—and if he had meant to | pallet: kneel you likewise if you will.” do so, was anything now preventing him?—or was| ‘“ Kneel, holy father,’ said Charles: “ your ex- there after all nothing significant in the conver- | ample is one that must be followed.” sation which had seemed for a while to take so, The priest sank down upon his knees accord- singular and promising a turn? A thousand! ingly, and then De Vere sprang upon him — times did Charles ask himself these questions dur- | clutched his throat with both hands—and threw ing that hour. Still time wore on—no one came | him completely down on the pavement of the cell, —the castle clock chimed half-past seven. Ah! if| at the same time saying in a menacing tone, “Cry it were not all a delusion, the dream of hope must | out or resist, and I will throttle you!” now be fulfilled! Yet still time was passing, and But Father Falconara appeared to be in no Father Falconara appeared not. The clock began | condition either to raise an alarm with the tongue to strike eight—and Charles felt his heart sinking | or defend himself with his hands: but ke lay per- within him. fectly motionless—his eyes closed —his features The bolts were drawn back—the key grated in | rigid, as if he had fallenintoaswoon. Yet the the lock—the door opened ; and that heart which | attack made upon him by Charles De Vere was ~ Ee — i, --- i - -”t—™ ——— ee ee (E@) Comichbooks =}