The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 236: what you’re looking at

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

214 THE COURT OF LONDON feminine task of initiating overtures to him. Besides, she did not wish him to come ready tutored by Miss Bathurst how to act, but she was desirous of assuring herself that Horace would of his own accord accept her as a wife. She felt assured that, inasmuch as he had been dragged into the transaction of the party of six, he would avail himself of his turn to call upon her at the cottage, with or without his aunt’s consent. She therefore expected him, nor did she expect in vain. Horace called, and although the conversation began with the observation on his part ‘‘ that he was the only one who could not plead the suit of love,” they nevertheless very soon found themselves deep in a discourse of a tender charac- ter. As we have already stated, the passion which Sackville entertained for Venetia amounted to a frenzied infatuation which made him reckless of any terms or conditions which might be attached to such an alliance, and therefore, though knowing everything, aware that she was to become the mistress of the prince, and that she was far too deeply in- volved in the ramifications of the plot, as well as too securely in Miss Bathurst’s power, to think of retreating, he enthusi- astically agreed to become her husband. Then, on the whole arrangement with the prince and with Sackville relative to this matrimonial project being made known to Miss Bathurst and Mrs. Fitzherbert, they cheer- fully gave their assent. Indeed, closely connected as Horace was to the former, an additional guarantee for Venetia’s continued thraldom to her will seemed to be afforded by such a marriage. Here we need not dwell upon the details of what followed. The reader is well aware how Venetia married Horace Sackville, how he was raised to the peerage, and how they took up their abode at Carlton House. The next incident which requires explanation refers to that occasion when the prince gave a dinner-party, at which the Sackvilles, the Earl of Curzon, Sir Douglas Huntingdon, and the Marquis of Leveson were present, and when Venetia overheard a certain conversation between the marquis and his Royal Highness. It will be remembered that the marquis had just returned from Paris, and startling indeed for Venetia were the circumstances which he and the prince on that occasion hurriedly discussed. She learned, in the first place, who Jocelyn Loftus really was, and the revelation immedi- connicloooKks (Cl)