The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 376: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XXXVIII THE MASQUERADE — SCENE THE FIRST Faitarvuy to his promise, the black page delivered the braided domino at Lord Montgomery’s house, in Grafton Street, on the morning following the incidents just related; and about ten o’clock in the evening, the nobleman alighted from a plain carriage at the entrance to Covent Garden Theatre. He was enveloped in the domino, the hood of which was drawn almost entirely over his head; and in addition to this precaution, he wore a mask. It was thus impossibie to obtain the slightest glimpse of his countenance, while through the holes of the mask his eyes commanded a perfect view of the brilliant scene into the midst of which he now entered. The only circumstance which made him fear that the trick would prove a failure, and that he could not succeed in passing himself off as Lord Florimel, was the difference in their stature; for although Montgomery was only of the middle height, yet Florimel was shorter still, and there was a probability that the keen observation of a woman would notice this fact. However, Montgomery regarded the adventure as one well worth the trial; and he had already made up his mind to play his part with the utmost caution, tact, and circumspection, in case he should really be accosted by some disguised beauty. The interior of Covent Garden Theatre presented a scene of the most dazzling brilliancy. The pit was completely — boarded over, so that a floor was formed to meet the stage; and at the end of the stage itself a full band was placed, under the direction of a celebrated leader. The arena was crowded with masques, displaying every variety of costume, every singularity of fancy dress, and every artifice to ensure 342 CORDIC OOO (C(O)