The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 346: what you’re looking at

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

312 THE COURT OF LONDON “And the handkerchief was removed from your eyes, doubtless,’’ exclaimed Lord Montgomery; ‘ and you beheld the charming heroine of your romantic adventure? ”’ ‘Oh, how erroneous are all your surmises, my dear friend,” cried Lord Florimel. ‘‘ What, do you suppose that all the precautions which had hitherto been adopted to steep this amour in the profoundest mystery were suddenly to cease and even be counteracted by allowing my eyes to gaze upon that woman who had studied to draw so impene- trable a veil around her frailty and screen her sensual enjoyments from the possibility of detection? No, no; the adventure progressed not in the manner which you have conjectured. The atmosphere of that chamber was warm, but the heat came from an invisible source, for there was neither fire nor lamp to throw even the faintest glimmer upon the pitchy darkness which prevailed in that boudoir > of love and mystery. The handkerchief was indeed removed from my eyes; but there was not so much as a streak of light to indicate the position of the windows. No, the shutters must have been well closed or the curtains made of the thickest material; and yet the heat of the room was not stifling nor the atmosphere stagnant. It was a whole- some air, though warm and perfumed; and it seemed to breathe a soft sensuousness which made me picture to myself all the luxury of a chamber devoted to the mysteries of love. But I was not allowed much leisure for reflection or needless conjecture; for my companion conducted me to a sofa, on which we reclined ourselves, and an adjacent table supplied wine, a goblet of which she conveyed to my lips with her own hand. Then she led me toward a couch, and in a few minutes we were locked in each other’s arms.’ ‘“ Do you suppose that it was her own house. or some place which she had hired for the occasion? ”’? asked Lord Mont- gomery, whose curiosity was piqued in a most lively manner. “It is impossible to say,’ returned Florimel, “I am narrating to you everything just as the adventure occurred to me; and you are positively as capable of making your conjectures as I am myself. At all events, I may observe that the lady was familiar enough with every nook, corner, and detail of the chamber to which she had thus conducted me; and if it were not her own, it is very certain that she must have often visited it before. It was large, and evi- (C(O) MG 6)(0)() (CO) im EE eee _