The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 266: what you’re looking at

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

748 MYSTERIME. the seven in every week that had as yet elapsed since the matrimonial knot was tied. His insulting neglect and cruel indifference had begun full early, and were increasing daily and hourly: but still the Princess complained not to kim! Ne ess, she had a confidant to whom she anbosomed all her thoughts ;—and that viper whom she thus an- consciously fostered in her bosom, was Lady Jersey. But we have not yet reached that point when it will be n for us to enter upon details so painful and incidents so heart-rending that we already tremble in anticipation of the tremendous task we have yet to fulfil. For the present we have to re- cord another of the manifold voluptuous diversions in which it so frequently pleased his Royal High- ness to indulge. It was, then, as we have already stated, in the middle of the smiling month of May—and at about ten o'clock in the evening—that the Prince of Wales was engaged in the contemplation of a somewhat singular spectacle of which his private apartment was the scene. The heavy hangings were drawn over the win- dows—the wax-candles were lighted—and the at- mosphere of the chamber was perfumed with the choice flowers that filled the porcelain vases. His Royal Highness, who had not long quitted the din- ner-table, was elegantly dressed in evening cos- tume: his countenance was flushed not only with drinking, but likewise by the exciting scene on which his eyes were gioatingly fixed. For on a tight-rope fastened across the room, at a distance of about three feet from the floor, a trio of beauteous creatures were dancing in a style which combined all the fascinating graces of the art with the most exquisite refinement of sensual provocation. Through the gauzy dresses which the three charmers wore, the eye could almost trace and follow all the flowing outlines of those forms that were so admirable in their symmetry and so supple in all their movements. To the flexible grace of the swan’s neck might be added the coiling power of the serpent, as the attributes of the lovely shapes that glided floatingly over the gently yield- ing rope. Never was elegance of motion more enchantingly blended with the soft sensuousness of amorous looks, than in the performance of those three accomplished votaries of the Terpsichorean art: never was the classic poesy of flowing atti- tude more effectively warmed into voluptuousness, than when these dancers adapted the varying ex- i pression of their ravishing countenances to the silent harmony of their movements. | It wasa species of physical coquetry appealing | to the sense in every undulation of the form—in every gesture of the arms—in every step of the feet—in every glance shot forth from the eyes— in every look assumed by the features—in every smile that shone sunnily upon the lips. Now, as | $f upborne by some invisible power, the exquisite forms floated airily along the rope which the clas- sically moulded feet appeared not to touch: now with slow, measured, and surpassingly graceful curves and inflections of the body, the superb con- tours of the bust would be altogether revealed :— ‘and now the gradual rounding of the arms and their elevation over the head, would display to in- effable advantage their finished proportions and the ravishing beauty of the hands. Or the eyes, 253 having suddenly flashed forth glances of burning desire, would by degrees mitigate the brilliancy of their lightnings and melt into the warm and con- tinuous tenderness of an autumnal sunset,—so that the looks which at first dazzled, penetrated, and bewildered, now inspired feelings of delicious rapture and sensuous softness. At the same time, perhaps, the lips would part in their moist redness, like a luscious fruit of the tropics, and slowly re- veal teeth of pearly purity. Then, again, the dancers would balance them- selves with the points of their feet upon the rope ; —those feet, so pliant and so yielding, stretched out, or rather downward, in such a manner that they seemed to form the unbroken and tapering continuation of the leg itself, without a joint: and in this attitude, the difficulty of maintaining which appeared to demand no additional effort, would they remain for upwards of a minute, throwing into their forms all the poetic grace of the Greek statues. Then, resuming their wavy, floating, flowing movements, they would sustain such a per- fect uniformity of motion, attitude, and even look, that it appeared as if the two were but the shadows of the one. Thus, in a thousand little ways and with all the skill and artifice of that which we have above denominated a physical co- quetry, did those three syren-dancers detail as it were beauty after beauty, and display charm after charm, to the enraptured view of their royal spec- tator. And beautiful indeed were the females who thus exhibited their accomplishments and developed their fascinations in the presence of his Royal Highness. They were young—and, although not virtuous, had lost nothing of the first freshness of youth. No artificial hue gave that bloom to their cheeks: no cosmetic was needed to enhance the brilliant transparency and dazzling whiteness of their skin. Their flesh was firm and plump to the eye; their shapes depended not upon the com- pressure of the corset to mark the flowing outlines or sustain the well-developed contours. Mingled grace and voluptuousness, elegance and soft lubri- city, rendered them charming as dancers and desirable as women ;—and the Prince, doubtless knowing beforehand how agreeable would be the recreation which Germain had thus provided for him, was resolved to be alone in its enjoyment. None of his boon companions were therefore pre- sent at the enchanting spectacle : the royal profii- gate had it all to himself! For nearly an hour did the exhibition last,— broken by occasional intervals of repose on the part of the dancers, when they descended from the rope and partook of the champagne which the. Prince poured out for them with his own hand. Nor did he fail to bestow upon them the most fervid caresses, and manifest his appreciation of their exquisite beauty by means of tender dalliance and toyings. Then, when the performance was concluded and the three dancers were in reality unable to conceal their weariness any longer, the Prince made them draw lots to decide who should remain as his companion for the rest of the night. The delicate point being duly settled, the two unlucky ones took their leave of the Prince and departed by means of the private staircase; while the fortunate young lady on whom the lot fell, re- mained alone with his Royal Highness. qeeneeiee GOH GOO SS