The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 157: what you’re looking at

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

140 THE COURT OF LONDON delicious archness and with a look of such wanton meaning that a lava-stream of fierce and fiery passion boiled in the veins of the amorous prince; for her lips revealed rows of pearl and seemed to breathe the ambrosial fragrance of paradise, and her glances went with an electric influence to his very heart’s core. ‘“ Let me pillow my head here,” he said, reclining it upon her shoulder; ‘‘ and now proceed. I am all attention.”’ ‘In the first place, then,” she resumed, ‘‘ you must know that I am really that same Ernestina whom you have named, and that the Marquis of Leveson is my uncle. Before I married that wretched being, Dysart, and when I was living beneath this roof, my uncle would never allow me to meet your Royal Highness when you called. He took every pre- caution to prevent me from being seen by you — ”’ ‘Ah! the sly dog,’? murmured the prince; ‘“ he knew that to behold you would be to love you. But go on, my dear Ernestina, go on.” “Moreover,” she continued, “‘ he would never permit me to attend any balls or parties at which you were likely to be present, and he invariably found some excuse for not introducing me at court. After my marriage, — my un- fortunate, unhappy, hated marriage — ”’ “Ah! you do not love your husband, then?” said the prince. | ‘“T hate, I detest, I abhor him!” cried Ernestina em- phatically. ‘‘ Besides,’ she immediately added, in a sub- dued and murmuring tone, “ 1 love you — and you only! ” “Thanks for that assurance, my angel,” said the prince, pressing her warmly toward him; and for the time being even the incomparable Venetia Trelawney was forgotten by the royal voluptuary. ‘‘ But what were you going to observe? — that after your marriage — ”’ ‘“ T was cut out, as it were, from that society in which alone I was likely to meet your Royal Highness.”’ “Do not Royal Highness me,’? murmured the prince. ‘“* Let me be George or anything else you like to you.”’ ‘Dear, dear George,’ said Ernestina, pressing her lips to his own. ‘ But I will not weary you with a long story. You are aware that Dysart killed Sefton in a duel — ”’ ‘And he was condemned to death yesterday,” exclaimed the prince. ‘“‘ But what was that paper which I signed — ”’ COMIC OOK (E(0)