The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 237: what you’re looking at

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

THE FAMILY VAULT 207 ‘‘ Plenty,’”’ answered Richard. ‘‘ And now good-bye for the present.” Thus speaking, the footman rose from the sofa and em- braced the Marchioness of Bellenden. In a moment her eyes, usually of so soft and melting an expression, became il- lumined with a burning lustre, as if through those windows of the soul shone forth the sudden kindling of all the fires of her impassioned nature. Throwing her arms around the neck of that man who thus freely bestowed his caresses upon her, the titled lady glued her lips to his swarthy but hand- some countenance; and by the lighting up of her fine blue eyes, the deep flushing of her plump cheeks, and the quick heaving and falling of her luxuriant bosom, it was evident that the slightest contact with her good-looking dependent served as a spark to the train of her desires and made them flame up as it were into a frenzy. “ Hush! a footstep approaches,’ exclaimed Margaret; and, rising from her chair, she suddenly resumed her artificial demeanour of matronly sedateness as easily as if it were a cloak that she was putting on without an effort. At the same instant, too, the handsome footman, starting from the embrace of his noble mistress, drew himself up to his full height and stood in her presence with a look and an attitude that denoted the profoundest respect. The mar- chioness rapidly smoothed her hair, arranged her cap, and | composed her looks in such a manner that the keenest ob- server could not have noticed the slightest indication to lead him to suspect that her features had so recently been ruffled by sensuous desires. Every trace of that voluptuous expression had passed away from her countenance, which all in a moment became as placid and as calmly beautiful as if the burning kiss of lust had never been imprinted on its damask surface. Thus, when the Reverend Mr. Roberts reéntered the room, on his return from the church, he found the two dependents standing before their mistress with the proper air of re- spectful attention, while the lady herself was issuing her orders in a tone where mildness and conscious authority were so nicely blended as to denote alike the kind mistress and the well-bred woman. “ You will therefore start off at once, Richard,” said the marchioness; ‘‘ and you must be particularly careful in - COU (c Doo <S (GO)