The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 124: what you’re looking at

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

ROYALTY’S FAVOURITE 103 to political affairs and state questions; and he could not help observing that she was always pleased to express an Opinion and proffer her advice on those points as if they had previously formed the subject of her reflections. Whether her inspirations in these respects came from the intuitive promptings of her own intelligence, or from the suggestions of her husband, or from any other quarter, we cannot now say. Certain it is, however, that the advice which she thus gave was gradually beginning to wield a marked influence upon the prince; the more so, inasmuch as she always spoke deferentially and not dictatorially, and with the air of a disinterested friend instead. of that of a selfish, narrow-minded mistress. On the present occasion, when we find Venetia and the prince seated together upon the sofa, the conversation had been turning upon certain minor appointments in the civil and diplomatic departments which had to be filled up. A list of the names proposed respectively by the Foreign and Home Secretaries of State had been submitted to his Royal Highness, and this list now lay upon a table near the sofa. ‘’ Well, my dearest Venetia,” said the prince, “‘ you have not given me your opinion relative to those names, and you know that I value your advice too much not to avail myself of it.” ‘“ My dear prince, you do me honour,” answered Venetia, flinging upon his Royal Highness the sweetest smiles, as a Hebe might be supposed to scatter the choicest flowers upon the god of her adoration. ‘‘ There are about twenty names in that list,” she continued, taking up the paper and scanning it deliberately, ‘‘ and I must confess that I consider some of the proposed appointments injudicious to a degree.”’ “Can you suggest more suitable ones, Venetia? ”’ asked the prince, in a careless sort of way, as he toyed with one of her fair hands. | ; “Let me see,’ exclaimed the lady, tapping him on the cheek, and then taking his gold pencil-case from his waist- coat pocket. ‘‘ Here, my dear George, is the post of first attaché to the embassy in Spain about to be offered to Mr. Drummond, whereas Mr. Arthur Fitzherbert should de- cidedly have the preference.’’ “Why, he is the cousin by marriage of Mrs. Fitzherbert,’’ exclaimed the prince, “‘ and I have told you on three or CoOnnicloooks (C(O)