The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 348: what you’re looking at

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

322 THE COURT OF LONDON window. ‘“ You know that the prince regent paid a hurried visit to the castle last evening, to consult her Majesty upon something of importance.”’ “Yes, I am aware of it; and I presume that you are offended because his Royal Highness was too hurried and too anxious to get back to London to pass the night here, so that he might have been in your arms, or even to be able to snatch a short half-hour’s conversation with you ere he went.” “You are wrong, mother, you are wrong,” exclaimed Penelope. ‘‘ The prince did snatch half an hour to speak to me alone last evening, and it is precisely in consequence of what then took place between us that you see me as I am this morning. But again I beg you to listen, —that is to say, if you indeed desire explanations from my lips? ”’ ‘““T do; you must know I do,” answered Mrs. Arbuthnot, now displaying an evident anxiety, for she began to fear that something was wrong between her daughter and the prince. ‘‘ Proceed, my dear child.”’ “TI need scarcely remind you,” continued Penelope, “that when first you proposed that I should become the mistress of the prince, I listened to you in amazement and in horror. But you told me a tale of pecuniary embarrass- ments, — which I have since discovered to be false, — and you used so much persuasion, that, in short, I knew not what to do unless it were to yield. And I did yield. Then, the barrier of virtue once broken down, I gave myself up to the enjoyments of sensual passion, and likewise to am- bitious dreamings. The prince, every time he came to the castle, treated me with kindness, even with a show of affection; he gave me a few presents, as you are aware, and he made many brilliant promises. Three or four weeks ago I hinted to him my apprehension that the effects of our amour would in time become visible, but he did not seem to care much about the intelligence I thus imparted to his ear. Indeed, he received it with a kind of indifference, which struck me to be heartless and even cruel. But I dared not admit to myself that such was the case. I endeavoured to reason my mind out of that belief, and therefore was it that I kept my fears from you. But last evening I took the opportunity of whispering to the prince that I besought a few minutes interview with him, and he contrived that Conmniclooolkks (CO nin