Alfred de Rosann by G.W.M. Reynolds — page 194: what you’re looking at

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

Alfred de Rosann. 165 events her features expressed a placid contentment and happiness. De Rosann remarked the renovation of her spirits, and supposed that his resolution to procrastinate his departure was the cause. The gay guadrille commenced—* glanced the many twinkling feet’? of those engaged in threading its mazes—and the enlivenin sounds of the music fell joyously on every ear. Selina danced with grace, but without affectation ; and her bewitching form was the admiration of several idlers who stood near to witness the evolutions of ‘‘ Terpsichore’s votaries.” Amongst them our hero recognized the two gentlemen who were present when La Motte was exposed at Mr. Robson’s table; and as he returned their salu-' tation with a polite bow, he noticed that Mr. Jenkins had changed - his silver spectacles for gold ones on this occasion, and that Mr. Goldsmith had added four new seals to the seven already pendant to his watch-chain. The recollection of the extraordinary efforts of their united imaginations at Mr. Robson’s house called a smile to his lips, and at the same moment his glances met those of Selina, as she returned from completing the figure called en avant deur, or V’éié. Alas! poor Selina—again she mistook the meaning of that smile—again she appropriated it as an offering to herself again her heart felt light, her pride was gratified—and again she was mistaken ! It was not singular if Selina and De Rosann were the most remarkable couple that graced the quadrille. The handsome per- son of our hero, and the sylph-like form of his modest partner, could not fail to attract attention. His coal-black hair was parted above his forehead, with a species of ** premeditated negrigence’— if the reader will excuse and condescend to appreciate the meaning of the antithesis—which gave a peculiar expression to his coun- tenance; his dark eyes were brilliant amidst that glare of even superfluous light; his slender figure was set off to advantage by the clothes which the prince of London tailors had fabricated. Selina was nearly as tall as himself; her years were evidently but two or three less than his own, and there appeared altogether a certain harmony and fitness in the mere fact of these two beings dancing together, that many a spectator inquired of his neighbour if they were not lovers. That which was doubt at first became magnified to certainty, when passed on with various amplifications from one to another. At length the report reached the ears of Belle-Rose, through the medium of his friend the Englishman; and the self-styled Count, with his natural inclination to lying, instantly declared that “his banker and intimate acquaintance, Robson, had confided the secret of De Rosann and Selina’s en- agement to him only the day before, when he went to draw for a fue hundreds; that the happy couple were to be united on the first of the following month, and that Robson had settled ten thousand pounds upon his daughter.” This news was speedily disse- minated amongst the various acquaintances of the young English- man on whose arm Belle-Rose was lounging; and in half an hoyr there was scarcely a single soul in the room that had not heard, and did not believe the report, save our hero, Mrs. Robson, and COMRnIClooo SS (GO)