The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 351: what you’re looking at

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

THE DESERTED MISTRESS 329 equally brilliant, or if not so brilliant as Venetia, at all events sufficiently splendid to keep me altogether in the background.” ‘Do not give way to this despondency,” said Mrs. Arbuth- not, determined to hope even until the very last. ‘“ We must think of what is to be done. I do not pretend for a moment that you are so beautiful as Lady Sackville, but you are nevertheless a very fine young woman, and it is impossible that the prince can remember your charms with indifference. I am really afraid, Penelope, that you yourself have not played your cards well, that you have not exerted all your powers of fascination, that you have not done your best to please and captivate the prince. Perhaps you have been cold.” ‘No, mother,’ answered the young lady, a crimson glow now mantling upon her cheeks, then rapidly suffusing itself over her neck and upon the luxuriant orbs of her heaving bosom, “‘ when once the barrier of chastity was broken down, I surrendered myself up, as I have already told you, to the intoxicating delights of passion, and was a very wanton in the prince’s arms. But even now, mother, you are labouring hard to deceive yourself. You are still striving to buoy yourself up with hope when there is none. I tell you that we shall obtain nothing from the prince. In short, I am a cast-off mistress, and oh, deep, deep is the humilia- tion.” As she gave utterance to these last words, all the glow of shame, which had risen to her cheeks and suffused her neck when she confessed herself a wanton, fled away, leaving her pale as marble, and her looks sank into the profoundest. melancholy. | “It is awkward, awkward indeed,” said Mrs. Arbuthnot, not knowing exactly what course to adopt. ‘ Awkward, mother! Is that the term to be applied to this cruel embarrassment? ”’ suddenly exclaimed Penelope, raising her eyes and looking with mingled indignation and reproach in her parent’s face. ‘‘ May it not prove utterly ruinous? Think you not that it is generally suspected that I have been the prince’s mistress? And so long as it is believed I am in high favour with him, the old queen herself will shut her eyes upon the amour, and the ladies of the court will pet, caress, and envy me. But the moment it is (CO) nn) GDoOo <Si in