The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 106: what you’re looking at

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

84 THE COURT OF LONDON Rao, ‘‘ that my master Lord Florimel has become desperately enamoured of a lady —”’ -“ Do you mean Miss Pauline Clarendon?” interrupted the milliner. “No, madam; his lordship is completely cured of that silly and romantic passion,’’ answered Rao; ‘“‘ and he now loves one who possesses an ardour of temperament and a voluptuousness of disposition quite equal to his own. But the splendid creature who has thus ensnared his heart and gained a complete empire over him is a being shrouded in the deepest and most impenetrable mystery, — a mystery which, for some reasons unknown alike to my noble master and myself, must endure until after the nuptial knot shall have been tied. In plain terms, madam, this lady will not reveal either her name or her countenance until the matri- monial ceremony shall have united her to Lord Florimel by indissoluble bonds.”’ “ What! ”’ ejaculated the milliner, profoundly surprised; “do you mean to tell me that his lordship is in love with a lady whose features he has never seen? ”’ | “Such is indeed the fact, madam,’’ replied Rao, ‘“ ex- traordinary as it may seem. But that she is gloriously handsome, Lord Florimel is convinced; and assuredly a disagreeable countenance never could have been united by nature with such a splendid form. That her features are perfect, however, he entertains no doubt; for in the dark- ness and secrecy of the boudoirs of love where they have met — alike at Dover and in London — his hand has wan- dered over her countenance, tracing its configuration and thereby ascertaining the shape of every lineament.”’’ ‘Then this lady is not a model of chastity and virtue? ” said the milliner, inquiringly. “ With that, madam, you and I have no concern,” an- swered Rao. “ Suffice it for us to know that she chooses to enshroud herself in the deepest, darkest, most impene- trable mystery, until the bonds of marriage shall have made Lord Florimel. her own, and then the imperious necessity which now renders her as it were a living, breathing, loving enigma will exist no longer. The veil will be torn from her countenance as well as from her rank and name, and from all that she has told my master, it appears certain that he will not have to repent of the match.” CONNKE NOOO KS m