The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 220: what you’re looking at

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

198 THE COURT OF LONDON was upwards of sixty, but still retained the traces of an extraordinary beauty, and preserved a fine embonpoint, into which the once voluptuous grandeur of her charms had expanded. Venetia did not then know that Mrs. Fitz- herbert had been so intimately connected with the prince, for she was utterly unversed in all the rumours and scandals of court life. But Mrs. Fitzherbert treated Venetia with a kind of affectionate attention, and also surveyed her with the deepest interest; and when dinner was over she and Miss Bathurst placed Venetia between them on the sofa, and not merely began to give her what might be termed lectures upon the manners of high life and the etiquette of the best society, but also, gently and delicately, as well as with much apparent kindness, mentioned to her any little faults they had noticed in her deportment at the dinner-table. These were very few indeed, and were rather little awkwardnesses than positive solecisms in good breeding, and Venetia, who possessed a rare appreciation as well as an extraordinary intuitive quickness on such points, at once profited by the hints and suggestions thrown out. Thus the evening passed away, and our heroine retired to her chamber well wearied with the bustle and excitement of the day. Scarcely, therefore, was her head laid upon the pillow, when she fell asleep, and thus had no time for thought. The whole of the next day was passed indoors. Milliners and dressmakers were in attendance, and to these auxiliaries of the toilet did she have to devote some time. About noon Miss Bathurst’s lawyer was announced, and that lady, taking Venetia aside, addressed her in the following manner: “My dear girl, -you saw yesterday the immense outlay which I made on your account, and which, when the rest of the bills are paid, will have absorbed more than two thousand guineas. Now, I mean to be very frank with you. You suddenly find yourself a comparatively rich woman, for you have a splendidly furnished house, a beautiful equipage, plate, jewelry, a varied and costly wardrobe, and everything necessary to commence housekeeping in the handsomest style. But this is not all. Here is a banker’s book, and you will find, if you open it, that a thousand guineas have been paid in to your account. All this shows you that nothing has been done by halves, and at the same time you can form an idea of the enormous amount expended in setting (Cl) nn) GDoOo <Si in