The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 259: what you’re looking at

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

- ecw wes we Ke eee —= —_—_— — = Did we not agree,” assed Lerd Sackville, “on Git memorable uight—er rather merniag—when you returncd to Acasin Cotmge frem Cariten Houwe-—~" ®0h! alludes net thes particularity te thet night.” aaid Venetia, with a strong shadder which swept visibly ever her entire form, as a rapid breess ap- pears to bear a sudden ruffle along the eurfave of Ge bales. “Pericon me, my love, for being too explicit,” exclaimed Horace, notiomg that cold tramer: “bat { wae merely desirous ot rewinding youof a specia! occeasioa on whieh we agreed that we would amite ourselves happy in spite of ail clroumetances.” “ Yee—I remember fall well,” recuraed Venetia : Mores heaven imows that I have endeavoersé to make myself, and alse to make you, as Bappy as |: possible! Bat-——" ~ But whet?” Elorase, starting from he sofa, and speaking with the nervous sbraptaess of aman who ts irresistibly tarpelled to court ex planations which he nevertheless dreads to hear. “Sit down, Horeve—ok down,” oli Venetia: “and I wil tell you what { mem. But instead of resuming hie place by her side on the sofa, be seated himself upon a footetecl— | beauty pillowed his head upen her ap—and said, * Now epeak frankly, Venetia—and tell me ali that you have to impart.” “sah! thie position which you have taken—this attitude which you have assumed—here—sitting ut my feet,” exclaimed Venetis, powerfully moved and profoundly toached, “ reminds me of the da)s of oar konseymoon—that honeymoon which was s0 short—yes, short but bestific ike a glimpse of Paradise? Then we were all love—all confidence —all childish playfainess: we could lovk each other in the face, only to smile—and not te blush ! But now—now, how altered is # ull—what a change has come overus! By risiag te aBelevation which makes us envied, flattered, fawned upow, we have been made to loath, detest, end abhor euredives— Oh! may God grant that we shall uot end by | aad loathing, detesting, and abhorring each other I” * Heavens, Venetian! to hear thee talk thus,” exclaimed Lord Sackville, “drives me mad. Why —evtn within a few hétrs after what may be ¢ermed your fali—yes, even the very next moreing =—we Gould look each other in the face without viashing! Bd now it seems as if the pangs of remorse and the poiguancy of shame have spracg into keeh vitality again—as if memory, instead of being biunted with the lapse of days and weeks, is actually beeoming sharpened—as if pleasere could aot drown that memory in ts roveate floude—as if iuxary could not lall oer reeuilections into repese —end as if honours, rich@, adulation, aad rank | coald not sppease us-for what we have dene!” i “Qh! look up at me, Horace—look ap,” ex- | elaimed Venetia, in the melting harmony of that delisious voice which penetrated like a strain of celestial muste inte the soul: “leok up to mea moment, my beloved hasband! Let us forget what We are—let as forget what has passed—let us forget also what is to come—and think ouly of this present aomem! Fer we are here alone toge.her: and Sh! let as concentrate ear thoug hte inte a dream, it % amy net be a reality of bites !—iet us indulge in an embrace as warm, as teader, and as affection , ate as those in which we were wont to steep our senses ere the date ef what you just new-co truth. | fally denominated ay sok /” of adoration and devotion for hie young and beas- | és0ns wife: thon, ap he knelt at hor fent, be gamed hina 5nd, then thetr lige met.in-#lsies more deli- cious then any in which those lips hed jolecd.cines the memorable date of Venntie’s fall. | less in ite chiselling aud se classic in its style of —thowe eyes of vuch tender melting bine that act even the hyacinth on [adia’ fields coeld eompare therewith—those lps of sash delicioes redness aad dewy moisture, ever remaiding the least thing epart 20 as net only to give » sofly_ sensuous expression to the I to afford a glimmpee of teeth whiter shen the pearl of the Eas,—then, continuing this survey, to trace the swan-like curvature of that enowy neek—the voluptuous falness of those slopiag end softly rounded shoulders—the grandeer of thet bust which swelled into a laxuriance more ample than ' soulptural richness ever set ferth, rising like heani- ' spheres of polished alabaster in their weil. divided ‘ conéouns, yot with that hue of life wherein the ! marble can neverriral the living form, and appear. | ing 10 the ok tet rem warmth, | still procesding with the sar- | vey, to mark the wasp-like syrametey of the waist, and the robust proportions of the naked arms, so | admirably rounded, so polished, and so white,— | then, with deacending look, to gather from the | folds of the drapery an outline or shadowing forth : of the splendid symmetry of. all the lower limbs, | | and to finish the survey with a view of the well- rounded bet slender aakie, anii of the iong shapely ; foot resting on the very ottoman where he sate— | Oh ¢haus to wander over the beaaties of thal woman and linger on all her charme im detail from_ head to foot,— was it not isieod eufilcieat te crown | te happiness of any man, te knew that this tram. | sceadent being was his oun? | “Now I feel happy ones more—es happy was wont to be,” said Horaca, tapering fingers arching nails of pellucid resiness, “Thee art | deed wondrously beantifal, my Venetin: and J | rejoieed that, amidst the whirl of pleasure and dis- sipation, we have at length found an hour's ieleure | to be alone with each other thas.” | | a “ Yoes—lI love thea, my Horase—O God! I thee,” excluimed Venetia, suddenly throwing arme rouod his seck as ¥ with the impulse frensie* violence: then as a streng shadder , i aan ene Wn) ELDO© CO :