The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

THE MARRIAGE | 5 ‘“‘ How did you know of it? ”’ inquired the Earl of Curzon, in a whisper to Sir Douglas Huntingdon. “Oh, from some secret information,’”’ answered the baronet. ‘‘ How did you? ”’ “Also from some secret source,’ was the earl’s response. ‘‘ You do not appear to care about it at all.” “What is the use?” said Huntingdon. “ Sackville is a lucky dog, that is all lcan say. I shall offer him and Venetia my congratulations. But you seem to be particularly chagrined.”’ “I did not think it possible that the matter could have ended thus,” replied Curzon, petulantly. ‘‘ But here they come! ” The doors at the entrance were thrown open as the earl was speaking; and the whispered colloquy, which Valentine Malvern did not overhear, was thus cut short. The bridal party entered the church. It consisted of Venetia Trelawney, Horace Sackville, Mrs. Arbuthnot, her daughter Penelope, Miss Bathurst, Doctor Copperas, and two or three other ladies and gentlemen, all the arrangements having been made under the supervision of Miss Bathurst, who, be it remembered, was Horace Sackville’s aunt. As the reader may suppose, Venetia looked transcendently beautiful in her virgin raiment. Her countenance was pale; her looks were downcast, and the long fringes that veiled her deep blue eyes rested upon her cheeks. A gentle melan- choly and soft bashfulness blended in the expression of her features; but she seemed far lovelier at this moment of timidity and embarrassment than when radiant with the smiles of triumph or dignified in the presence of insult. Above her forehead, within the elegant white bonnet, lay her rich auburn hair, of velvet smoothness, and having the appearance of dark gold as the prismatic light from the painted window fell upon it. The virgin drapery displayed all the grand contours and flowing outlines of her shape, that form in which voluptuous fulness was so admirably blended with symmetrical proportion. Nor was the dress itself whiter than the bosom of which it allowed transient glimpses, and the swelling volume of which gave such richness to her figure in a profile view and rendered the waist more delicate than even it really was. Horace Sackville experienced a joy which beamed in his COUN ) LOOKS (CO)