The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 379: what you’re looking at

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

THE MASQUERADE— SCENE FIRST 345 four hours of frenzied bliss, thrilling ecstasies, and burning kisses; and Montgomery said to himself, ‘‘ My God! if this be the woman whose amorous proficiency plunged Florimel into a never-to-be-forgotten paradise, I would sooner lose: my own soul to Satan than the chance of enjoying the mingled intoxication and delirium of her warm embraces and furious caresses.”’ And while these reflections swept through the brain of Earl Montgomery, the Flower Girl — for so must we denomi- nate the charming unknown — was still advancing toward him; while he remained motionless as a statue, but devour- ing her with the ardent looks which he threw upon her from behind his mask. For as yet he could not be sure that she was purposely accosting him, nor was it an unmistakable certainty that he was indeed an object of attention or interest on her part. She might be moving in that direction in the abstraction of her thoughts, or she might believe him to be some one for whom she was looking, and yet not have in view the aims which he hoped and suspected. While he was making these additional reflections, she approached within three yards of the spot where he was standing; then she passed him by at a pace so slow as to convince him that she was only seeking the leisure and the opportunity to contemplate him with attention, for her eyes, | shining like twin diamonds through the mask, remained fixed upon him the whole time. ‘“‘ Yes, she is the lady of this adventure,” thought Mont- gomery within himself. ‘‘ She recognizes the domino, but she hesitates because I am taller than Florimel. Would that I were of a stature as feminine as his! ”’ The Flower Girl passed by the nobleman and advanced as far as the music-stands at the extremity of the stage; then turning abruptly around, she again approached him, slacken- ing her pace as she drew nearer toward the spot where he still stood motionless. It struck him that he would speak to her; but he was afraid that he could not sufficiently imitate Florimel’s voice in order to deceive her, and he saw the monstrous imprudence of doing anything to strengthen — the suspicion with which she already appeared to view him. Again she passed him by, closer this time than before; and he could even catch the bright and searching looks which: she fixed upon him. Yes, and he heard, too, the subdued (Gr ®) Anyi