The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

“My deer Fanny,” interrupted the Prince, in a resolute tone, “itis useless to remenetrate! When { came in so hurried a manner to you just now and told you that I had seen the loveliest figure in the whole world at the masquerade and that Germain } was about to bring the unknown hither, I declared that I was already maddened by the elegance, grace, and virgin freshness of that transoendent form. I was then utterly ignorant who the Flower Girl could be: but when she revealed her countenance in this room—Oh! then never did Pauline appear so ravishingly beautiful! A thousand charms on no former occasion observed by me, were instanta- neously discovered—and she struck me as being more lovely than Octavia. Think you, then, that I will abandon the hope of this conquest ?—-think you that I will renounce my pursuit of her? No—no —a hundred thousand times no! And it was also becanse she was haughty and reproachfal—because she looked dagrers at me with her magnificent eyes —and because she darted forth galling arrows in the shape of words from between the parting roses of her lips,—aye, it is also on this account that I will wage war against her stubborn virtue, so that my vengeance and my bliss shall be crowned with triumph at the same moment! Seek not therefore to turn me from my purpose: bat on the contrary, prepare to lend me your aid when I may require it. And now once more good night.” Thus speaking, the Prince quitted the room; and muffling himeelf up in an ample cloak, hg returned on foot to Carlton House. CHAPTER CXLVII THE BOUDOIR OF LOVE AND MYSTERY. We must now return to Lord Montgomery and the Circassian Slave whom we left at the moment when the latter introduced the former into a chamber the atmosphere of which was warm and perfumed. Gcitting her hold upon the nobleman’s hand, his fair companion looked ‘the door; and he heard her take out the key, which she deposited somewhere in the room. She then bade him remove the hand- kerchief from around his head and throw off bis mask and domino; and when he had done this, he found, as of course he had expected, that the char-- ber was involved in the most pitchy darkness. That this was the same room of which Lord Flo- rimel had spoken, Montgomery felt convinced the instant that he set foot in it; for the approaches to it were precisely the same, as detailed in italic at the close of the hundred and forty-sixth chapter; and he speedily found that not only was it furnished in a most luxurious manner, but that certain articles of furniture were precisely the same as his noble friend had represented. That is to say, the table stood be- (ween the sofa and the bed; and near the head of the bed there was a large arm-chair. “Seat yourself by my side, dear Eugene,” said the lady, in the most tender cadence of her melting and musical voice, taking his hand at the same time and thus bringing him close to her upon the sofa: then throwing her arms about his neck, she drew him to- wards her and thetr lips met again in a long, burning kiee, * Deerest, dearest lady,” exclaimed the nobleman. eh PS oe ts a flood of rapture pouring in unto his coul; “what earthly happiness can compare with thisf”’ " And then, as one arm elasped her gupple, yielding, and tuxnrious form, he passed his right hand cares- singly over her countenance, and he could tell by the touch that her features were heautifully formed, while her cheeks were of velvet softness in one sense and plump and firm in another. Her breath was as fra- grant as the sephyr which passes over the sweetest flowers; and he had already observed beneath her maak, when in the theatre, that her teeth were white as pearls and faultlessly even. “Now tell me candidly, my dear Eugene, she observed as her head reposed upon his shoulder,— “tell me what you think of the woman who could so far forget herself as to become the heroine of such an adventure as this whereof you yourself are the hero.” “T was about to reply, my charming friend,” said Montgomery, “ that the intoxication of the happiness which I experience leaves no leisure for reflection, and indeed that [ have no wish to thing of anything eave the ineffable delight which [ enjoy in your so- ciety. But your question has forced the subject upon my thoughts; and { will candidly declare that I consider you to be wise in following the dictates of your feelings and the impulse of your tenderest passions in strewing the rngged paths ef this world with as many flowers as possible. You are formed for love and pleasure:—Oh! yes—your nature aud your pereon are alike glowing with raptures, to expe- vience and to impart them! And [ love you—] swear by everything sacred that I love you—and perhaps all the more fervently, all the more madly, because of this mystery with which you envelop yourself and which constitutes an additional charm.” “You love me—you love me,” murmured the im- passioned woman, yielding herself unresistingly to the caresses which the nobleman lavished upon her and courting the voluptuous toyings ia whieh he in: dulged: “but of what nature is this love, Eugene? Oh! do not deceive me—but confess that it is the mere excitement of the imagination and the passions —an excitement that will leave no durablesentiment behind !” “On the contrary, my dearest unknown, ex- claimed Montgomery, speaking with ferveur and straining her passionately in his embrace,—*“I shall never, never forget these moments of love so ineffably delicious and so truly elysian! Ah! if there were a light in this chamber, you could tell by my eyes—~by my whole countenance—that I am speaking the truth: but even in the midst of thie darkness may’st thou obtain a proof the strength of those emotions which I feel! There—place you hand upon my heart—does it not palpitate with the flutterings of a tenderness which is not altogether seneual? And even now, with the full enjoyment of blise within my reach, do I prefer reclining with you for a time in this manner—my arm round your waist—your head upon my shoulder—your breath fanning my cheek your bosom heaving against my chest—and your voice flowing in the sweetest melody upon my ears. Yesa—there is sentiment is all this ;—and where there is sentiment, something more permanent than a mere gross passion bath assuredly an existence. Again, it would be pouring gall into the oup of ambrosia of which I am now drinking such deep draughts, were you to tell me that this is the last time as well as the first that I am ever to enjoy so much happiness. I hall know not a greater joy then that of meeting you ElOOO® SS (CO iin