The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 81: what you’re looking at

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

64 THE COURT OF LONDON her visitress in the saloon, she aseended to her boudoir. There she tore open the letter which the marquis had put into her hand, and having satisfied herself that it contained the notes, she put five of them into her purse, and secured the other five in her writing-desk. ‘Then, having laid aside her carriage-dress, she repaired to the drawing-room where the lady was waiting for her, and concerning whom we must pause to say a few words. This lady was about three and twenty years of age, and was tolerably good-looking. She had fine hair of a dark brown colour, delicate features, which, without being exactly regular, were interesting, fine eyes, and a very beautiful set of teeth. Her figure was finely formed, — indeed, upon a somewhat large scale when considered in reference to the delicacy of her countenance. Altogether, she was of attractive appearance, and though quiet, genteel, and ladvlike in her manners, she had not the polish of what is called ‘‘ the best society.’’ In that society she had never- theless mingled for a time, but had not altogether caught its exquisite gloss. Indeed, it was not very difficult to per- ceive that she properly belonged to a sphere not so elevated. At the same time there was nothing vulgar about her; she was dressed with taste and what might be termed elegant neatness. Her voice was pleasing, and a slight tinge of melancholy gave additional interest to the.expression of her countenance. This lady was Mrs. Malpas, the daughter of a retired butcher, but she herself had never had any connection with the details of the business, having, on the contrary, been brought up in the manner which is usual with a rich tradesman’s family. That is to say, she had received a good boarding-school education, so far as instruction and accomplishments went, but she had also learned a great deal of boarding-school nonsense. It was the influence of such sickly sentimentalism as this that was destined to rule the principal actions of her life, as the reader will soon see. She was the elder of several sisters (for she had no brothers), and had been left an heiress by an old bachelor uncle who accumulated a fortune in the pork and sausage line. When she left boarding-school and was duly “ brought out’? at a Mansion House entertainment, she of course engaged the notice of many admirers. But her fortune was ECORNICLIOOKS (EO) im