The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 225: what you’re looking at

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

CONTINUATION OF THE MYSTERIES 203 satisfaction of the young lady was depicted in her counte- nance, Venetia being well pleased with the part which she had thus to play and the routine chalked out for her to pursue. ‘ As a matter of course,’’ resumed Miss Bathurst, “‘ you will form no friendships and receive no guests without pre- viously consulting me; but as it will be better that your acquaintance with me should be kept as secret as possible, you must come but seldom to Stratton Street, and then only of an evening, as Mrs. Arbuthnot can be the means of con- stant communication between us. And now let me continue my explanations relative to the hoped-for results of all these preliminary arrangements. I have already said that you will soon become the topic of universal conversation throughout the fashionable world, and in proportion to your coldness and reserve toward all who seek your acquaint- ance, will grow the general anxiety to form it. The name of Venetia Trelawney will be.in the mouth of every one, and when you ride in the park you will be the cynosure of general observation. The greatest ladies in the land will be mad with jealousy, because they will hear their husbands, lovers, and acquaintances all talking and thinking of nothing but Venetia Trelawney. You will become a favourite toast at dinner-parties and at the clubs, the fashionable news- papers will have paragraphs concerning you, your dress will give hints for the fashions, milliners and dressmakers will quote your good taste, and thus will the name of Venetia Trelawney become a perfect furor and rage. ‘“In due course, the prince regent will hear of you. My nephew, Horace Sackville, who is intimate at the palace, will not fail to drop hints and allusions to pique the prince’s curiosity. You shall be introduced to Horace in a day or two; but he will not, when conversing with the prince or elsewhere concerning you, let it be known that he has the honour of your acquaintance. And, by the bye, talking of Horace I shall not mention to him how I became acquainted with you,’’ added Miss Bathurst, for she did not wish her nephew to know that she had any knowledge of such a character as Mrs. Gale. ‘‘ Nor, indeed,’ she continued, ‘““must Horace visit you at Acacia Cottage. Nothing, in short, must be done in the shape of imprudence or indiscre- tion in any way calculated to betray the fact that I am at (C(O) nn) GDoOOo <Si in