The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

46 THE COURT OF LONDON a being chiseled from a block of ice, allowing me to fling my arms around your neck, but not even so much as pressing my hand in return, what can [ think? Why, that you have but made a convenience of the Marquis of Leveson. You accepted me as your banker, but you never, never intended that this should be the result. Even until the last day, I might even say until the last hour, — for it is but a couple of hours since you were here, — you declared, with a glorious smile of triumph upon your countenance, that the last pearl should never find its way back into my possession. Well, then, Venetia, you would have robbed — ” ‘““ Robbed, my lord? ”’ she ejaculated, the flush of indig- nation mantling upon her cheeks, and the same sentiment flashing in fire from her eyes. 7 : “Tell me candidly, Lady Sackville, had you remained at the ninety-nine thousand pounds, as you have all along intended to do,’’ demanded the marquis, ‘‘ would it not have been the cruelest, the unhandsomest, the unfairest advan- tage ever taken of a compact which all along could have had but one meaning, and that meaning significant enough? It would, in plain terms, have been what I denominated it, a robbery. I know not what circumstance may have tran- spired to compel you to pay me this second visit to-day, and to present me with the last pearl, but this I do know, — and most mortifying to my pride would it be, were it not the very symbol of my triumph, — that it is nought but some urgent necessity that has driven you to an extreme you all along intended to avoid. Here at the last, then, yes, at the very last, am I still your convenience, and in surrender- ing yourself under such circumstances, you have not the generosity —I will not say the gratitude — even to affect some little warmth toward the man who has made so enor- mous a sacrifice to obtain you.”’ “‘In this case,” said Venetia, glad of an opportunity to argue the question, as it might furnish some avenue of escape, ‘‘ you are influenced by revenge, and not by love, in sternly insisting upon the fulfilment of the compact this night? Ah! my lord,” she continued, flinging upon him one of her most winning and seductive looks, at the same time taking his hand and seeming to play with it mechanically between both her own, “ why not endeavour, by those tender assi- duities which are so acceptable and so flattering unto our comicloooks (C(O)