The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 381: what you’re looking at

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

THE MASQUERADE—SCENE FIRST 347 But what on earth did she mean by calling me a perjurer? The word ‘traitor’ is intelligible enough, for it is doubtless a treacherous act to personate one’s friend in a love-intrigue of so delicate a nature as this. But perjurer — perjurer — how can I be a perjurer? Perhaps she meant that I was the traitor and Florimel the perjurer; and yet he assured me that she never bound him by any oath or pledge at all. Be that, however, as it will, it is not the less annoying to expe- rience so signal a failure in an enterprise which promised to be of so delicious a piquancy. She must assuredly be a splendid creature! What a glorious complexion, what ad- mirably moulded arms, what a superb length of limb, and what an elegant figure! Then the bust, just ample enough to be voluptuous, and yet appearing to possess a virginal plumpness and firmness. Albeit she is no virgin, if Florimel’s tale be true; and who can doubt it? Still there is about this charming being a certain maiden freshness and all that wholesome flush of youthfulness which do not bespeak a long nor an intimate acquaintance with amorous pursuits and exciting pleasures. Oh, it is enough to drive me mad with rage and disappointment, to think that I should have lost so golden an opportunity. But I may yet make my peace with her. It is not perhaps too late, and who knows what may be the result? I will plead the strength of a passion excited almost to delirium by the tale which Lord Florimel narrated; and I will reveal the whole truth, who I am, and by what stratagem I hoped to take the place of the young noble whose puritanical devotion to his Pauline would not permit him to plunge into this intrigue. Yes, let me seek the mysterious Flower Girl, and all will yet be well.” With this last reflection still traversing his brain, Lord Montgomery hastened in search of the disguised lady who had already excited so deep an interest in his heart. (Gx @) AG