The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 319: what you’re looking at

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

o02 REYNOLDS’ WORKS I beheld the lady and her ayah, and, good heavens, what wondrous beauty on the part of each! The second time I saw the lady with a_young English girl, whom, to my aston- ishment, I at once recognized. She is Miss Ashton, the sister of that very identical young dog who spoilt my game in respect to Stanhope and my wife. She was at first with the Merediths, and, to tell you the truth, I had marked her out as my prey.” | “And why, mv lord, should you not honour her with your favour in her turn?” inquired Madame Angelique. ‘“T have never seen her — at least, not to my knowledge, — but 1f she be worth any trouble —”’ ‘Worth any trouble?’ exclaimed Marchmont, “ she is worth as much trouble as either the Eastern lady or the ayah. She is of a ravishing beauty, and those three together must form a group such as you, Madame Angelique, never had in the saloon adjoining, beautiful as I admit your houris are. But come, tell me what is this satisfactory intelligence which you have to impart? ”’ “The Eastern lady, my lord, will be in your power,” replied the infamous woman, ‘‘ whenever you think fit to say the word. I took the business in hand myself, and fortune favoured me. I found the ayah accessible to bribery on the very first occasion when I dropped her a hint that a ereat nobleman had fallen in love with both herseir and her mistress; but she is a strange creature in her way, for she at once declared that her mistress should have the honour of your Grace’s preference, and that she herself would be content to assist in the enterprise.”’ ‘Ts her mistress at all gayv?’’ inquired Marchmont. ‘’ Has she been brought over to this country by some wealthy nabob, who by dying or on leaving her has enriched her? ”’ ‘“ Nothing of the sort, my lord,” cried Madame Angelique. “She is a paragon of virtue and propriety. This much the ayah assured me, giving me to understand that the astutest artifice and the most unscrupulous force must be employed for the vanquishing of that stubborn virtue of hers.”’ “Then methinks it is a somewhat difficult task?” said the duke, helping himself to another glass of wine. ‘By no means, my lord,’ rejoined Madame Angelique. ‘The train for the artifice is laid; it will be for you to use Gomichbooks (E() m