The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 263: what you’re looking at

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Gewese ., eee, (eee ees gee, 250 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. I recognise five or six young ladies of the highest rank about to join in the diversions.” While thus speaking, Lady Sackville stooped slightly down, and peeped between the blinds. Sir Douglas Huntingdon followed her example; and their heads thus came in gentle contact. The baronet was not likely to withdraw from so pleasant a vicinage; and Lady Sackville did not. Their heads thus remained touching each other—their hair mingling; and in this position did they contemplate what was passing within the gor- geously furnished and brilliantly lighted saloon. The young ladies of aristocratic birth were clad in the light and gauzy apparel of fignrantes, with their hair tastefully arranged—so that it appeared as if their forms were arrayed and their toilet chosen with a view to produee a dramatic effect. Very beautiful indeed were these young ladiss: but it was evident from their burning looks and wanton attitudes, that modesty with them was bat @ garment of convenience. A strain of music stole sofély through the room —issuing from a pieno the position of which was unseen by Lady Sackville and Sir Douglas Hun- tingdon at the glass door: and now the aristos tocratic young ladies timed their graceful steps to that delicious harmony. Takiag from a sideboard ‘several garlands and wreaths of artificial flowers, they raised them with their bare arms above their heads, playing with them aa it were in a manner that enabled them to show off the beanties of their forms in attitudes more classically gracefal, more studiously indelicate than the most reokless ballet- dancer or figurante of the present day. Thea suddenly quickening their pace, they whisled.xound| Haatingdon snatched up her hand—pressed it to | and round the Prince—flinging the gazilands.and the posies at him-—-endeayonring, to tasp him up with the wreaths—and finally making higa tha bait of a variety of practical jokes, more- caleelated however to excite than to hurt him. On his side, the Prince Regent smused, hianseif in several ways. Sometimes he racedand chased after the young ladies—at others he threw himself panting and puffing upon a sofa, one of the aristo- § cratic beauties acting the part of Hebe and bring- ing him a delicious beverage in a crystal cup. Or else, he would suddenly assume a thoughtful and sentimental demeanour,—either taking “a seat at a distance, or else leaning pensively against a pillar,—so as to entice the ladies towards him: and then, as they gathered around him again, he would abruptly seize hold of the nearest—fling his arms about her—and cover her with kisses, amidst the pealing laughter and delighted cries of all the reat. For upwards of ten minutes did Lady Sackville and Sir Dougias Huntingdon continue peeping through the blinds—their heads still remaining in that contact which we have before noticéd. The spectacle within the saloon was, of a surety, suf- ficient to inflame their imaginations: and it cer- tainly produced this effect. Moreover, on the one hand Sir Douglas Huntingdon was in such an atti- tude that by casting down his eyes he could plunge his looks amidst the treasures of Venetia’s glowing bust: and on the other hand, the lady herself, by casting an occasional sidelong glance at her com- panion’s profile, was led to the reflection that he |’ was really much handsomer than she had even supposed him to be. “What think you of that spectacle?” she sud- denly exclaimed, raising her head from the blinds - and as her looks met those of the baronet, the colour deepened upon her cheeks. “I can only say that I regret we have not some artificial flowers here in this ante-room,” replied Sir Douglas: “as your ladyship might in that case condescend to practise the same innocent pastime with me.” “Tt is a punishment, and not as a jest, that I throw this at thee,” exolaimed Venetia, suddenly detaching a bouquet from the corsage of her dreas, and tossing it towards the baronet. “Ah! then it is as a revenge, and not as a mere insolent liberty, that I treat your ladyship thus,” | returned the baronet: and suddenly throwing his arms.around Venetia’s neck, he, pressed his lips to her's. She received the caress withent resentment, certeinly—although perhaps she did not exactly retarn it, But in the look which she flung upon the begzonet, as. she. disengaged heraelf from his arms, there was something which elevated his hopes to a frenzied height. “ Begone now,” she said hastily: “let not the Prince suppose that you have been lingering here with ms,” This very remark at once seemed to place the lady and the baronet upon the most familiar foot- ing, by implying as it were that a secret had sud- denly sprung into existepoe between them. In- toxicated with the thought that Venetia— the brilliant, beauteous, incomparable Vemetia—would | yet bestow her favours upon him, Sir Dougias his lipe—and then hurried from the room. Almost immediately afterwards the Prince came forth from. the saloon, carefully closing the glass- door belind him: and perceiving Venetia’s flushed cheeks and palpitatingy boeom, he attributed her excitement to no other cause than the volaptuous spectacle whisk he had indeed purposely brought her hither to view in the hope that it would in- flame her passions to a maddening height. “ Come with me, adored one,” he murmured, as he pressed his mouth to those lips that still bore the imprint of the baronet’s far more welcome caress: then fixing upon her a look all burning with desire, the royal voluptuary led his mistress away to his own suite of apartments. CHAPTER LXVIIL THE KING'S BENCH. Az the period of which we are writing, the aatho- rity of the Secretary of State had not invaded the King’s Bench Prison with those innovations, en- croachments, and changes which have since robbed that establishment of all its peculiar glory. The immense enclosure had not then been divided into different compartments and yards, respectively appropriated for the degrees and grades of insol- vency and indebtedness: but the Bench was then indeed in its glory—as the cesspool of the West- end of London ! Resembling an enormous barrack standing in the midst of spacious grounds, girt by a wall of the same height as the edifice itself, and covered GOnMGOOOKS CO