The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 123: what you’re looking at

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110 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. nr gain,” he added, seizing her im his atms and once more gluing his lips to her luscious mouth. She embraced him with reciprocal fervour, lavish- ing upon him the tenderest caresses and breath- ing sweet words in his ear. But when he again sought to crown his happiness, she gently repuleed him,—with mingled smiles, however, and blushes. “ Ah! Venetia, you are cruel—too cruel thus to tantalize me!” murmured the Prince. ‘“ When will yon be mine? Must I be kept in suspense until after the marriage which you are about to accomplish ?—or may I hope that this evening—or to-morrow evening ——” “To-morrow evening we will meet,” whispered Venetia, bending down her blushing countenance. “ But it cannot be here: my reputation must not be damaged—perhaps wrecked—previously to this marriage which is to save it——” “Then you will meet me elsewhere, my love ?” said the enraptured Prince, seizing her haad and conveying it to his lips. ‘“ Wherever you may choose to appoint,” was the murmuring reply. “I will manage to be there without exciting suspicion at home. But I cannot use my own catriage for the purposee—” “ Mine shall be waiting for you at any hour and place yon may name,” said the Prince. “To-morrow evening—at nine o’clock—and at Hyde Park corner,” answered Venetia. “I shall be muffled up in cloak and yeil——” “ And the carriage shall bring you to the private entrance of Carlton House,” added the Prince, “Till then, my adored Venetia, farewell |” Another fervid embrace—and they separated. CHAPTER XXXL THE DELICATE OOMPAOT. it was not until the Prince Regent was some dis- tanwve from Acacia Cottage, that he recollected his delicate compact with the Marquis of Leveson. He hadi set out te visit Miss Trelawney with the firm intention of adhering to that compact: he had even entered her presence in the same mood —for his urind was still occupied mainly with. the nege of the lady in the gossamer dress. But the moment he stood in Venetia’s presence, that image melted from his memory as an effigy of snow would dissolve beneath the rays of a scorching san. Much as he had heard in praise of Miss Trelawney's beauty, he was taken by surprise with the mingled grandeur, witchery, and splendour of that loveliness which so far exceeded all the ideas he had pictured to himself upon the subject. | He went, therefore, in order to iotrigee and to | congaer for the behoof of the Marquis of Leveson : buat, as the reader has seen, his tactics were all in a moment turned into another channel—and he both intrigued and conquered for himself. The | beauty of Venetia instantaneously inspired him With a sentiment which obliterated the image of | the gossamer lady as totally for the time being as _ if it bad never bad a seat in his soul: he beard ' Venetia speak — and the music of her voice touched chords in his heart that had not thus vi- brated for years before. The richness of her form was precisely that which best suited the taste of the Prince: her auburn hair, crowning ber head wasp Geass « «<=. -4» Go a: eel ae as with a glory, denoted the fervid temperament that he so much loved to meet in woman. Then the conversation of Venetia had delighted him: her readiness at repartee, without the faintest flippancy—her well chosen language—her logical mode of expressing her thoughts—and her skill in baffling the assaults of flattery until she chose gradually to yield, and ultimately to surrender to the overtures made her,—all this had invested the interview with a peculiar charm the influence of which sank deep into his mind. Throughout that interview, therefore, he had never once thought of the lady in the gossamer drese—never once thought, either, of his delicate compact with the Marquis of Leveson. When the interview was over, and all was settled between himeelf and Venetia in a manner that filled his soul with raptures, he had returned to his carriage to give way to the delicious reflections and still more elysian hopes that resulted from his visit. But as the carriage was rattling along Piccadilly and drawing near the corner of Albemarle Street, the Prince Regent suddenly recollected his bargain with the Marquis of Leveson. The thought troubled him sorely. He had under- taken to abandon to the Marquis all his chances of success with Venetia Trelawney: he had solemnly and sacredly pledged himself to communicaty to his lordship everything that passed between himself and that lady. What was he to do P—how was he to act? To resign his claim to Venetia was now almost the same as to ask him to resign his claim to the British throne. He was mad with love—that is to say, the sensuous passion which was all he ever knew in th’ guise of that sentiment. The lady im the gossamer dress might be hanged, drawn, and quartered now, for anything he cared: he would not give one fig while Venetia’s image was yet uppermost in his mind and the pressure of her lips was still felt as it were upon his own,—no, he woald not give one fig for all the gossamer ladies in the world But how was he io manage with the Marquis ef Leveson? It would be impossible to keep his ap- proaching connexion with Venetia Trelawney alto- gether secret from that nobleman; and he dared not risk a quarrel with one who was so deeply in his confidence, especially with regard to the atrocious conspiracy that was in progress respecting the Prine cess of Wales. The best thing he could do under the circumstances—in fact, the only thing—was to call at once upon the Marquis, tell him all, and pursuade him to grant a release in respect to the compact so hurriedly and rashly made on the pre- ceding Monday night. Pulling the check-string, his Royal Highness commanded the coachman to drive to Lord Leve- son’s ia Albemarle Street; and in a few minutes he descended at that noble’s palatial dwelling. The Marquis was at home; and the instant the Prince Regent was announced, his lordship of course at- tributed the visit to an honourable intentioh on the part of his Royal Highness of fulfilling the bargain made relative to Venetia. The moment the footman had retired after ushering the Prince to the drawing-room where the Marquis of Leveaon received his royal visitor, the latter exclaimed, “ My dear friend, a thoughs struck me as I was coming slong—and to that thought must I first give utterance before we speak upon auy other sutject.* - — @ + = & @ - ee ee) ec Ea rye hE gg a gg a ea rc ae, ecommicoooks CO