The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 117: what you’re looking at

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

THE BANQUET 101 desperation, “‘ I am bound, however painful the announce- ment may be to any friend present,— and seeing the peculiar nature of the circumstances which were initiated in an after-dinner frolic, I hope there will be no loss of friendship on this account, — I am bound, I say, to declare that the result of my campaign made me for the time being the happiest of men.”’ Having thus spoken, the colonel resumed his chair and immediately tossed off a bumper of wine. ‘Let the names be called to the end of the list,’’ said Horace Sackville, whose face was white as a sheet, but whose voice was nevertheless marked by a firm decision. ‘“‘ Be it so,’ exclaimed the Marquis of Leveson. ‘ The prince regent! ”’ ‘“On my honour, as a man and a gentleman, setting aside my rank for the present,’ returned his Royal Highness, “T cannot boast of having been blessed with the favours of the lady alluded to.”’ The Earl of Curzon and Sir Douglas Huntingdon exchanged rapid looks, expressive of surprise at this announcement, the truth of which they could not doubt; they therefore both fell back upon the belief that Captain Tash must have deceived them in his representation of Venetia’s visit to Carlton House. ‘““My own name stands next upon the list,” said the Marquis of Leveson, ‘‘ and my explanation is precisely the same as that already given by his Royal Highness.”’ Then after a moment’s pause, he observed, with a half-smile, “* Mr. Sackville, am I to call upon you? ” ‘““ Most assuredly,’ returned Horace, his cheeks now slightly flushing, and his voice remaining imperturbably calm. ‘ I wooed Venetia — and I won her. She is my wife. But if Colonel Malpas can prove that previously to our wedding-day he succeeded in obtaining the favours of her whom I have thus made my wife, I cannot possibly, under the very peculiar circumstances of the case, be offended with him. Seeing, however, that so far as I am concerned a love-campaign which commenced as an after-dinner frolic has terminated in the most serious and solemn manner for myself, — namely in marriage, —I hope that Colonel Malpas will not stand forward to blast the reputation of my wife without having irrefragable evidence to produce in (COMMICLOOO (SO