The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

THE OPERA BOX 53 “ Well, I think that you are a great deal too condescend- ing,” remarked her suitor. Florina made no reply, and Lord Saxondale, almost immediately forgetting the incident, began talking on some other subject. The Mr. William Deveril, whose name has just been introduced into our pages, was quite a young man, very handsome, with a complexion that was either naturally dark, or else rendered so by a long residence in a southern clime; for he had been much in Italy, whence he had brought with him to England that art which he now appeared to be teaching with very considerable success, and which, indeed, had quite become the rage amongst ladies in high life, especially as Queen Victoria herself was known to have expressed her approval of it and to have purchased some specimens of Mr. Deveril. We may add, in regard to his personal appearance, that he was tall and symmetrically formed, and looked far more like a nobleman, or what a nobleman ought to be, than the insolent lordling who had just now treated him with such insulting disdain. Lord Harold Staunton was chatting ghbly away with his sister’s three young friends, and Lord Saxondale was passing his remarks upon the most prominent occupants, male or female, of the first-tier boxes, with his quizzing-glass in his eye, when the box-keeper entered, and presenting a ecard to Harold, said, ‘‘ My lord, the gentleman who gave me this requests permission to pay his respects to your lordship and to Lady Florina Staunton. He desired me to add that he is the bearer of letters from the Marquis of Eagledean in Italy.” ‘Mr. Gunthorpe,”’ observed Harold, reading the name upon the card. “‘ We don’t want to be bothered with visitors now —”’ “ Oh, but if this Mr. Gunthorpe be the bearer of letters from our uncle,’ Florina at once remarked, “‘ it 1s our duty to see him; and, moreover, it should be a pleasure on our part to show him any attention.” “Well, just as you like,” returned Harold, and he then bade the box-keeper introduce the gentleman. ‘Gunthorpe? Not a very aristocratic name,’’ said Lord Saxondale, the moment the box-keeper had retired. “ I don’t wonder, Flo, at your brother not wanting to see him COnniclDoolkKs (CO)