The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

FASHIONABLE DEPRAVITY 63 ‘Have you?’ demanded Emma. ‘“ Come, let us confess. You and I have no secrets from each other.”’ ‘“‘T hope not,’ observed Agatha. ‘‘ Well, I am bound to admit that the contact of his handsome person did some- — what confuse and bewilder my ideas and excite my passions —and— and —JI suffered him to perceive that he was not displeasing to me. In plain terms, I laid my head upon his shoulder, — this was in the evening of the first day’s journey.” ‘¢ And did he reward you with a soft and noiseless kiss? ”’ asked Emma, her bosom heaving visibly in the mirror where it was reflected, and the soft flush of desire tingeing her cheeks. | ‘‘On the contrary, he seemed either not to understand my meaning or else to be indifferent,’ answered Agatha. ‘““ Nay, [am not quite sure that he did not positively repulse me, but very gently, and rather by withdrawing himself from me than by pushing me from him.” ‘“ Oh, he withdrew, did he?’”’ exclaimed Emma, a light breaking in upon her mind. “ Then did I fall into a most eeregious error, for as he retreated from you he pressed against me, and I fancied that the pressure was intentional.”’ ‘‘ And you returned it?” said Agatha, in a voice full of deep sensuousness, for the bare idea of these amorous over- tures heated her blood and inflamed her imagination, so that the carnation deepened upon her cheeks, her hazel eyes swam in liquid languor, and her fine bust swelled and sank like the undulating motion of the sea. “I returned that pressure, —in fact, I gave Jocelyn Loftus to understand precisely what you did,” said Emma, in response to her sister’s question. ‘I let him know as plainly as I dared that if he were bold and venturous, I should not prove timid nor cruel.’ ‘“‘ And the result? ’”? exclaimed Agatha, hastily. ‘The same as in your case,”’ was the reply. ‘‘ Last evening, in the carriage, I renewed my little arti- fices,’”’ observed Agatha, ‘‘ and with an equal futility. When we descended from the carriage and entered the room where the lights were blazing, I scarcely dared look him in the face; but I was resolved not to seem humiliated.”’ “That was precisely the feeling which I experienced,’ exclaimed Emma. “ But do you think that Jocelyn is a Gomi | 0)(0)(6) “S (EO)