The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 236: what you’re looking at

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

LORD AND LADY SACKVILLE 213 against Venetia (then Miss Trelawney), had proposed marriage to the lady; and though she had declined the proposal with a considerable amount of raillery and smart repartee, they had parted most excellent friends. It is true that Venetia was fully aware of Huntingdon’s having employed Captain Tash to watch her movements; but as she had subsequently derived a positive and considerable advantage (in the Malpas affair) from that circumstance, she was by no means inclined to cherish it as a grudge against the baronet. Moreover, she did not forget that he had been one of the first to congratulate her at St. George’s Church upon her marriage. Altogether she rather liked him, for he was excessively good-tempered, and we have already said that he was of handsome though dissipated appearance; but then it was that pale and interesting aspect of dissipation which is not without its admirers amongst ladies in the fashionable walks of life. From these observations the reader will not be sur- prised to learn that Venetia extended her hand in a most friendly manner and smiled very graciously as she thus found herself face to face with the baronet. ‘ Ah! Lady Sackville,” he exclaimed, evidently astonished to meet her in that anteroom. “ It is always a pleasure to encounter you anywhere; but may I ask what on earth your ladyship is doing here? ” | “The prince, with that exquisite taste which so often characterizes him,” replied Venetia, an expression of peculiar contempt curling her lovely lip, ‘‘ brought me hither to behold some drama in which he is doubtless to perform the principal part.” “It was precisely to take a share in this said drama,”’ observed the baronet, ‘‘ that the prince invited me hither also. It is true that I am somewhat behind time; but I cannot regret a delay which has produced me the pleasure of meeting your ladyship.”’ ‘You know,” said Venetia, in a tone of good-humoured raillery, “ that I always take compliments for precisely what they are worth.” “ If the syllables which fall from my lips were diamonds,”’ answered Sir Douglas Huntingdon, “they would still be of infinitely too poor a value to form a sentence that should adequately proclaim your praise.”’ CONNIClOOO© a SS (C(O)