The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 109: what you’re looking at

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

92 THE COURT OF LONDON “ But how on earth could Sackville have married her? ” exclaimed the baronet, evidently bewildered by the various thoughts that were agitating conflictingly in his mind. “Of course he did not know that she had already had been won by you; and, if he comes to-night, I should think the scene will be rather a painful, or, at all events, an extraordi- nary one. He will have to be told to his face that he married a woman who, with all her enchanting beauty, was no better than she should be — ”’ At this moment the door was again thrown open, and the Earl of Curzon was announced. ‘“My dear Malpas,” he exclaimed, “is it a fact? — or is it a hoax? It is assuredly no delusion that you purpose to give us a banquet, for the dining-room door stood open as I passed through the hall; and to clear up the misgivings which had haunted me ever since I received your note a few days back, I peeped in and saw covers laid for six. Pardon this impertinence on my part, but I really could not help thus gratifying my curiosity and appeasing my suspense.’ “Well, I have been as much astonished as yourself, Curzon,” said Sir Douglas Huntingdon, while the colonel endeavoured to look good-humouredly knowing and com- placently mysterious. ‘‘ But I was observing to Malpas just as you came in, what an ass Sackville has either made of himself or else will be made to appear to-night.” “T don’t think he will come,’ exclaimed the Earl of Curzon. ‘In fact, he can not; he would never dare show his face amongst us. He will be too much ashamed of himself, and will never stand all the bantering he must expect for being so egregiously duped. For my part, I think Venetia is a deuced deal worse than he must even suspect aiter receiving Malpas’s note— _ But, by the bye, did you send him one? ” asked the nobleman, turning toward the colonel. “To be sure I did,” was the response. ‘‘ Was I not bound to do so in accordance with the agreement made at Leveson House? ”’ ‘As a matter of course,” observed Huntingdon. “ But what do you mean, Curzon,” he inquired, evidently struck by something the nobleman had said, “‘ when you State that Venetia is worse than her husband can even suspect her to be after receiving Malpas’s note of invitation? ”’ CONMICELNCO_KS5(E)