The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

EDITHA 59 a shining amber colour, and which seemed to array her in the brightness of a robe made of golden tissue. The low body left her polished shoulders entirely bare, and revealed sufficient of the bust to show the sculptural contours of the round, fair, and well-detached bosoms. The naked arms had a graceful curve which admirably became their perfect modelling; and though the skirt of the shining robe was so ample, yet did its plaits and folds afford an external indica- tion of the symmetry which it concealed. Thus the shape of the lower limbs might be conjectured, ay, followed and delineated by the mind’s eye, especially when the imagination was assisted by the exquisite conformation of the foot and ankle that peeped from beneath the satin dress. Pearls set off the purple glossiness of her luxuriant hair, and pearls also marked with their delicate tracery the round- ness of her swanlike neck. Nothing could exceed the glowing appearance of the Countess of Curzon in that dark Oriental loveliness which made her seem like a houri fresh from the sensualities and luxuriousness of Mahomet’s paradise. All the brilliance of beauty, the grace of motion, and the seduc- tiveness of look which ever combined to render woman alike charming and dangerous now mingled all the magic of their spells wherewith to invest the Countess of Curzon. In the brilliant toilet which Editha had just achieved, she was efficiently assisted by the faithful Gertrude, her prin- cipal lady’s-maid. This young woman, who was herself exceedingly beautiful, was devotedly attached to her mis- tress, — not merely because she was a confidante in Lady Curzon’s intrigues, nor because she was well remunerated for her complicity, but because she really loved the countess for her own sake, with a rare amount of disinterested affec- tion. “Your ladyship never appeared more beautiful than you are to-night,’’ said Gertrude, as she threw a rich ermine cloak over the shoulders of her mistress. ‘I am glad you tell me so, my dear girl,”’ replied Editha, laughing gaily, ‘“ for I know that you are impartial. And now remember what I have told you.”’ “ Your ladyship knows,” said Gertrude, with a meaning look, “that I always attend to your ladyship’s com- mands.”’ © You do, my dear girl,” observed the countess, tapping connicloooks (C(O)