The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER VII DOMESTIC SCENES IN HIGH LIFE LADY SAXONDALE was now forty years of age, and was perhaps one of the most splendidly handsome women belonging to the aristocracy of this country. Hers was a style of beauty which, although so precocious in the spring- time of its youthful developments, was that which preserves the best; and without having expanded into corpulency or stoutness, her form had acquired just a sufficiency of embon- point to set off that matronly stateliness which so well became her. Thus her fine figure, still preserving the proper symmetry of proportions, was not luxuriant so as to destroy its grace, nor of contours too full to be compatible with elegance; while it gave her all that majesty of demeanour and queenly dignity of look which so admirably suited the haughty cast of her aquiline countenance. The pearly white- ness of the teeth remained in all its earliest perfection, the fires of youth still seemed flashing in her large dark eyes, and no streak of silver marred the raven blackness of her shining hair. | Her ladyship was clad in a dark dress trimmed with the richest lace. The room in which she was seated was spacious, lofty, and splendidly furnished. The heavy crimson draperies at the windows subdued the powerful lustre of the sultry sun, and vases of flowers gave a freshness to the hot and languid atmosphere of that summer day’s noon. To the walls were suspended several fine pictures, and all objects in the apartment were reproduced in the splendid mirrors that. appeared on every side. When Edmund entered the room he found his mother seated in an armchair near the centre table, and the grave severity of her look, as well as the drawn-up stateliness of 71 COnNIECLOOOKS (FO)