The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 123: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER X THE COTTAGE THE next day Lord Saxondale did not go near his friend Lord Harold Staunton, but he sent a brief note of excuse, stating that he meant to devote himself to the new enterprise which he hadin hand. Having taken his breakfast in his own room, so as to avoid encountering his mother, with whom he did not wish at the present time to have any fresh ‘ scene,” he remained secluded there all the morning to deliberate upon the course he should adopt in order to obtain admission to the presence of the fair Angela Vivaldi. From what he had heard concerning her, he saw that it would be useless to write her a note beseeching her to grant him an interview, for during the week which had elapsed since he first discussed the subject with Lord Harold, he had learned from several quarters sufficient to convince him that it was not by any of the usual means of gallantry that the beautiful danseuse was to be won. It may be remembered that he had origi- nally thought of addressing a note to Angela Vivaldi at the opera itself, but Harold had assured him then that if he did so his missive would only be treated with contempt. He had since ascertained that such had been the fate experienced by several other aspirants in the same quarter, and who had adopted those vulgar means of imparting their hope and their proposals to the object of their passion. Saxondale therefore saw that some other plan must be chalked out, and that the whole affair must be managed with the utmost delicacy and caution. But how was it that, after all the reports he had heard relative to Angela’s virtue, he could possibly be vain and arrogant enough to expect that he himself was the fortunate being whose aspirations were to be crowned with success? 106 Gomichbooks (E(0)