The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 293: what you’re looking at

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

276 REYNOLDS’ WORKS ‘“ And what more can I ask?”’ said the maiden, in gentle accents and with tender looks, as she bent down toward her kneeling lover, so that her eyes looked into his own, and her balmy breath fanned his brows that were throbbing with the excitement of ineffable feelings. ‘‘ You offer me everything calculated to ensure my happiness, and the promptings of my heart tell me that if others seek to control my fate by wedding me to splendid misery and coroneted unhappiness, it is a duty | owe unto myself to accept the destiny which a higher power — I mean that of Heaven — appears to throw in my way.” ‘“Oh,-.every word that you speak, worshipped and adored Florina, convinces me of the depth of your love and assures me of its enduring constancy. This, this is happiness indeed,’ and as Deveril spoke he threw his arm around the snowy neck of the beauteous damsel, and drew down the countenance already so close to his own till their lips met, and as he still knelt at Florina’s feet, he thus culled the first kiss of the ilove which was now so fully revealed. ‘“ hse, rise,’ said Florina, with murmuring tremulousness of tone, “ rise, William, dearest William.” He obeyed her, he rose from his kneeling posture, he again seated himself by her side, but for some minutes his heart was too full to allow the utterance of another word. It was a sort of subdued ecstasy, a prolonged sensation of bliss, wherein his soul was steeped; his heart was bathing in a fount of Elysian delight. The impression of that pure, chaste kiss was still upon his lips, the voice which had just addressed him by his Christian name for the first time was dwelling like a soft strain of delicious music in his ears, and the image of her on whom he gazed in mute adoration was reproduced in his heart, never to be effaced. He felt that whatever should betide him in this world, through whatever storms of adversity or tornadoes of misfortune he might be hurried, to whatever distance circumstances might separate him from the presence of the idolized and adored one, yet that still the sweets of that kiss would linger on his lips, the music of that voice would continue to float in his ears, and the image of that face of transcending beauty would remain indelibly impressed upon his soul. On the other hand, while all these thoughts and sensations were exercising their beatific influence upon William Deveril, Gomichbooks m