The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 177: what you’re looking at

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

160 REYNOLDS’ WORKS “ But what, then, has he to do with your mistress? ” demanded Saxondale. ‘Is he related to her? ” “Oh, my lord, how stupid you are! Can’t you guess?” Then, with another sly look, and once more in a mysterious tone of confidence, the soubrette added, “ He is just as much related to her as your lordship wishes to be.” ‘“Do you mean to tell me she is living under his protec- tion? ’’ demanded Edmund, in astonishment. The soubrette nodded her head affirmatively. “Oh, the sly puss!’’ ejaculated Saxondale, ‘ and rumour speaks so highly of her virtue! Well, after all, I was right,” he observed, musing audibly, “in what I said to my friend Staunton, when I declared that I had no great opinion of the virtue of any female upon the stage. But still I did think that she was virtuous as yet, although I fancied that her virtue was not an impregnable citadel. And you tell me,”’ he continued, again addressing himself to the soubrette, “that your mistress is living under the protection of this Mr. Walter? ”’ ‘Yes. Is there anything astonishing in it? ”’ “Oh, nothing at all. But is she much attached to him? ” ‘No, far from it; and between you and me, my lord, the conquest will not prove altogether so difficult as you may fancy. But here she comes. Hasten away for a few minutes.” Lord Saxondale, whose ear had suddenly caught the sounds of an approaching vehicle at the same time as the lady’s-maid’s, at once acted in obedience to her suggestion, and hurried higher up the road. Then stopping and looking back, he perceived a brougham drive up to the gate of the villa garden. The lady’s-maid immediately issued forth, the coachman leaped down, and one person only emerged from the carriage. That person was a female, and she at once entered the precincts of Evergreen Villa. ‘Now, then,’ thought Saxondale to himself, as he experienced a thrilling exultation of the heart, ‘it is about ten to one that within a very few minutes I shall have the happiness of being in the presence of Signora Vivaldi. That soubrette of hers is an artful hussy, and is pretty sure to manage the business cleverly. Ah! now the coachman takes the vehicle around to the stables. I wonder how long I shall have to wait here. Perhaps the maid is already CONNIE NO KS (E(0)