The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

\ aA HE tH) NM, ya Ais Y Mfr} WZ Yy eg. 4 Wy { Is mea iy ae init 7a! 6: UY VY SKY im “A With a cordial, or indeed familiar welcome, although she was busily engaged in guperintending the manu- facture of whip-syllabubs and ice-creams. Leaving the Marquis in company with the lady of the house, we must return to the drawing-room, where the utmost hilarity now prevailed. The Prince, entering into the spirit of the game as fully as if he were only a great school-boy in his teens, exerted himself to add to the merriment of these romping girls. To speak the truth, he was by no means anxious to catch any one of them and thereby divest himself of the office of Blind Man: he therefore allowed them to escape one after another, as often as they fell into his grasp. But before he thus re- leased the captive damsel of the moment, he indem- nified himself for his generosity towards the prisoner, by a fresh banquet upon the sweets of her lips. The scene was really charming and exhilarating to a degree; and the Prince enjoyed it most unfeignedly. There he was, feeling his way about the drawing- 4 * ot SE, EE Cone ool THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. Ss == NN ) Ww) POA ‘ . SQ ut ()< i | ‘te | i >. 4 $4 } 4 yy ¢ 4 pat IT ~. —EEE a \ MIL) Bi} vy Ne (ity ATU NY VA b's =— ee room—careful not to overturn the table, upset a flower-stand, or smash a China vase,— while the romps bounded and frisked in all directions, leaping upon sofas and over chairs, and making the place ring with their musical voices and merry laughter. Now the Prince’s extended hands came in contact with a muslin dress—then they glided over the polished sur- face of a glowing bosom: now they swept along a naked arm smooth as alabaster, but warm to the touch—then they were laid upon a shoulder smooth as velvet but plump in its natural softness: now his fingers became entangled for a moment in tresses of silken fineness—next his arms suddenly enfolded a waist of wasp-like symmetry—and then his lips were fastened upon flushing cheeks and a delicious mouth, while a bosom, palpitating with the excitement of the game and perhaps with other and more tender emotions, heaved and fell rapidly against his breast. But the fair one thus caught, would eventually suc- ceed in escaping from the Prince’s arms: and thus S (0)