The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

-om 1 a fh / =. = a ‘. he | i ~ = : aie - Pddier.. ehele:. CHAPTER CXLIL THE MASQUERADE.—SCENE THE FIRST. Fairurut to his promise, the black page delivered the braided domino at Lord Montgomery’s house in Grafton Street, on the morning following the incidents just related ; and at about ten o'clock in the evening, the nobleman alighted from a plain earriage at the entrance to Covent Garden Theatre. He was enveloped in the domino, the hood of which was drawn almost entirely over his head: and in addition to this precaution, he wore a mask. It was thus impossible to obtain the slightest glimpee of his countenance, while through tne hules of the mask his eyes commanded a perfect view of the brilliant scene into the midst of which he now entered. The only circumstance which made him fear that 63 oS — — ' ’ ary ' ‘ oe Pa ; . r . ai . a *s itr 1, ah = f ' > be .' aie ng Fue ahetin ; ii. hea ala BST PA — "Alea AT TE a i he ae Pet lie (0 We | il the trick would prove a failure and that he couk not succeed in passing himself off as Lord Florimel, was the difference in their stature: for aithuugh Montgomery was only of the middle height, yet Florime! was shorter still—and there was a proba- bility that the keen observation of a woman would notice this fact. However, Montgomery regarded the adventure as one well worth the trial; and he had already made ap his mind to play his part with the utmost caution, tact, and circumepection, in case he should really be accosted by some dis- guised beauty. The interior of Covent Garden Theatre presented a scene of the most dazzling brilliancy. The pit was completely boarded over, ao that a fluor was formed to meet the stage; and at the end of the stage itself a full band was placed, under the direction of a ceie- brated leader. The arena was crowded with masques, displaying every variety of costume, every singularity of fancy-dress, and every artifice to ensure complete —=""s Qa dd GOH GOO