The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 339: what you’re looking at

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

THE DAGGER 319 pression upon him on the two occasions that he had caught a glimpse of her at a distance. Thus he had come down to Oaklands for the purpose of introducing himself to Indora; and immediately on his arrival he had issued positive in- structions to the domestics to the effect that they were to support his tale of the duchess being likewise beneath that roof. This was the hint that was whispered to Purvis by one of the footmen, as the old steward entered the hall after attending Indora in her evening ramble. And what were the Duke of Marchmont’s feelings when he did find himself in the presence of the princess? If he had admired her from a distance, how infinite became that ad- miration on beholding her close! The grandeur of her beauty ‘exceeded even what he had expected to find it; the glory of her charms excited all his most fervid passions. It was indeed with difficulty that he could conceal the joy of antici- pated triumph when conversing with her in the drawing- room. In all respects she seemed faultless in his eyes, —a being whom he would give half his fortune to possess. Marriage had consigned a charming creature to his arms; the gold of that luxurious patrician had purchased the rarest beauties of every clime, until he had grown sated with pleasure, and, like the Persian monarch, craved for a new one. In the Princess Indora he beheld everything calculated to ravish, to dazzle, to excite, and to fascinate; he thought there would be a world of frenzied bliss in achieving this conquest, even though it were by force. He had devoured her with his eyes even while rendering the expression of his looks most courteously respectful; and when, on her retiring, he was left alone in the drawing-room, he sat feasting his imagination with the pleasure that he conceived to be in store for himself. But let us return to Indora. When the two female servants had retired, and even while the door was yet closing behind them, that strange glitter appeared in her eyes, and her rich red lips were wreathed with an expression of ineffable scorn. She turned toward one of the boxes she had brought with her, unlocked it, and took thence something, which she thrust under the pillow of the couch. Then she was on the point of enveloping herself in an elegant muslin wrapper, when her ear caught a gentle tap at the door, and as her glances were flung in that direction, she beheld a piece of paper COMMIC DOO) <S (C©) im