The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 71: what you’re looking at

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

54 THE COURT OF LONDON She accordingly issued from her chamber and repaired to the drawing-room belonging to the suite of apartments which she and her husband occupied at Carlton House. In such haste was she to see the colonel and hear from his lips the issue of his mission upon the Continent, that she quite forgot at the moment the manner in which she was apparelled, and it was not until she actually stood in his presence and observed his eyes suddenly light up with a look of fervid devouring passion as she thus burst upon his sight, that she remembered how lightly she was clad. But being thus accus- tomed to display herself in those private dramatic represen- tations wherein all the sensualities of the public stage were so shamelessly imitated, she experienced no bashfulness as the circumstance of her seminudity was thus recalled to her mind. Indeed, she could not be disposed to experience any more shame in thus displaying herself to the eyes of Malpas than she did when appearing on the mimic stage before her select patrician audience. The effect, however, thus produced upon Colonel Malpas was as poweriul as it was instantaneous. The sudden appear- ance of that woman so superbly handsome, in such a luxuri- ous undress and in the roseate light which flooded the splen- didly furnished drawing-room, was enough to arouse the passions of even a more sober-minded individual than Malpas and excite them to a frenzied degree. He had always re- garded her as supremely beautiful, from the very first; he had looked upon her as the most desirable creature he had ever set eyes upon, but now she seemed to burst upon his view clothed with a loveliness so transcending in its brilliancy, SO overpowering in its grandeur, so intoxicating in its influence, that small marvel was it if the fires of the colonel’s sensual cravings thus flamed up all in a moment to a madden- ing degree. “Sit down, Colonel Malpas,” said Venetia, immediately assuming an aspect of dignified reserve as she waved her hand toward a seat. Then placing herself on a sofa at a little distance, she hastened to observe, ‘‘ We have private the- atricals here this evening, and hence the garb which doubtless strikes you as strange.”’ “Not strange, your ladyship, but as wondrously becom- ing,’ said the colonel, in a tone insidiously complimentary. “To speak with candour, indeed, I never saw your ladyship EORNICIIOOKS (E(0)