The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

THE AVOWAL OF LOVE 47 the roseate hue went and came upon her damask cheeks, and how strangely, almost overpoweringly, streamed forth upon her comprehension the floods of light from that temple of love the portals of which were now unfolding to her knowl- edge! ‘And then, oh, then, how ravishingly beautiful appeared the damsel in this moment when a new source of happiness became known to her, when she understood the meaning of those sentiments that hitherto she had cherished uncon- sciously and unwittingly toward Valentine, and when her pure but enthusiastic soul was thus suddenly brought to a more vivid and rapturous comprehension than ever she had experienced before of that esthetic feeling which the poet has embodied in his verse, the painter has made to glow on his canvas, the sculptor has personified in his almost breathing statue, and the musician has sent soaring up to heaven on the wings of divinest melody. '“ Miss Eaton,” said the young man, in those hushed and tremulous accents which, when vibrating with a masculine harmony and conveying the language of love no young female can hear with impunity, “‘ it is by the permission of your excellent uncle and aunt that I am thus permitted to address you. I do not fall at your feet, I do not give vent to impassioned language, full of vows, and pledges, and protestations, but not the less inspired with the deepest feeling and experiencing the profoundest emotion, I beg to offer you my hand as you already possess my heart.’’ With downeast eyes and blushing cheeks, Florence Eaton proffered her own fair hand, thus mutely, yet, oh, how eloquently, giving the affirmative answer to the suit which he had pleaded in terms so manly but in tones so tender. “ Thanks, ten thousand thanks, dearest, dearest young lady,’ said Malvern, as he took that fair hand and respect- fully conveyed it to his lips, but though there was bashful hesitation in the manner in which he thus kissed the maiden’s hand, there was nevertheless a thrill of ecstatic rapture in the accents wherein he conveyed his gratitude for the _ bestowal of it. ‘“‘ Florence,” he continued, now calling her by her Christian name for the first time, ‘“ again and again I thank thee.” How sweet, oh, how sweet to the maiden’s ear is her own Christian name when breathed for the first time by the lips EGOMIGIOOKS (C(O) am