The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 233: what you’re looking at

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

210 THE COURT OF LONDON , ‘ Enough, enough of all this,” ejaculated Horace, sud- denly. ‘I see that you are right; we could not have acted otherwise than we have done. And, after all,’’ he added, abruptly, ‘‘ we are fools to make ourselves miserable. I am Lord Sackville, you are Lady Sackville; I am a peer of the realm, you are a peeress; we possess titles and pensions which cannot be taken away from us. Our fortunes, are therefore made for life; and it is now our bounden duty to endeavour to enjoy that life as well as we are able.”’ ‘‘ Yes, we must make up our minds to adopt this course,” said Venetia. ‘‘ And indeed,” she cried, with a sudden access of that callous, selfish, heartless feeling which makes the thorough woman of the world, “‘ we possess all the realities and substantials, the essentials and the materials, to make existence thoroughly happy. It will therefore be our own faults if we allow sentiment and feeling to interfere with that happiness.”’ “Yes,” observed Horace, readily arming himself with the buckler of that cold selfishness which Venetia had just assumed; “it will only be a false feeling and a maudlin sentimentalism that can be allowed to interfere with the realities of our happiness. Let us then agree, solemnly agree,’ continued Horace, ‘‘ never more to talk softness and tenderness to each other, but to look, speak, and act as the thorough man and woman of the world.” ‘Yes, cheerfully do I subscribe to that agreement,” responded Venetia. “Then henceforth our very love shall cease to be a senti- ment,’’ continued Horace, ‘‘ and shall merely be a sensualism. We will have no jealousies, piques, vexations — ”’ “No boyish and girlish dalliance and romance,” added Venetia; ‘‘ no poetry of the feelings — ”’ ‘““Nought save passions, cravings, and impulses that become men and women of the world,” exclaimed Horace. ‘“ And now, my beautiful wife, — as thou art indeed more ravishingly beautiful than ever this evening, especially with that rich glow upon thy cheeks, — let us retire to our own chamber that in each other’s arms we may taste the joys of paradise.”’ With the wanton glow deepening upon her countenance, and with a soft and sensuous lustre stealing into her swim- ming eyes, Venetia was extending her hand toward her EORNICLIOO KS (E(0)