Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 179: what you’re looking at

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

162 . THE COURT pOREONDON “It is really a delightful scene, exquisitely fitted up, and evincing in every detail that fine taste for which your Royal Highness is so justly celebrated.” ‘“T am pleased that you admire my bathroom,” said thé prince, seating himself by her side. ‘‘ Can you not for the moment fancy that you are in some apartment attached to the harem of a Turkish palace? ” 5 ‘Never having been in the Mussulman’s country, I cannot precisely make so free with my imagination,” an- swered the huntress, in a lively tone. ‘‘ At the same time, from all I have read, I could, without a very large stretch of the fancy, conceive your Royal Highness to be a Sultan in déshabillé,”. she added, with a significant glance at the prince’s figured silk dressing-gown and embroidered red morocco slippers. ‘IT am perfectly willing that you should entertain such a belief, on condition that you permit me to exercise my fancy with regard to yourself,’ exclaimed George, his eyes wandering over the form of the huntress. ‘Qh, certainly —I cannot have the least objection! ”’ she cried, ‘‘ especially after having compared you to the Grand Turk. And now tell me, pray, for what you are inclined to take me? ”’ “For my Sultana of an hour,’ responded the prince, throwing his arms around Lady Letitia’s neck. ‘“ You are determined to make me feel that | am a woman, in spite of my male attire,” she exclaimed, laughing. We must, however, leave the prince and the huntress in the bathroom, and return to Mr. Meagles, who, at the moment when they were quitting the bedchamber, was to | all appearances very busily engaged in examining the mis- cellaneous articles strewed upon the central table. Nor did he desist from his occupation as soon as he found himself alone; for he thought it probable that the prince might return to fetch something, or to give him instructions relative to the exclusion of any one who might seek admis- sion to the bedchamber. He accordingly remained at the table, and began to examine the indecent French prints, which he had not seen before, as they had only arrived on the previous day. They were not, however, much to his taste; for Tim Meagles was too ardent and impassioned a votary at the shrine of Venus to need any stimulant of the Gomicbooks 1cO m