The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

ESS EE ere eee 10 has grown so uncommonly dull?” asked Colonel Malpas, in his most elaborated drawing-room drawl, ; & Most assuredly I do !” exclaimed the Prince. “For my part, I see none but the same faces wherever I go—at Court, at entertainments, in the society becomes so insipid——” “In fact, sir,’ remarked Lord Leyeson,— for the habit had recently sprung up in Court circles to address the Princes of the Blood as “sir,” so as to avoid the frequent repetition of the more formal mode of “your Royal Highness,”—* in fact, sir, you look upon the female portion of the fashion- able world as a galaxy of beauties whose charms lose their power by becoming familiar to the eye— and therefore you desire to welcome the advent of some new star?” “By heaven! talle of new stars,” exclaimed the Earl of Curzon, in a tor of enthusiasm, “ what planet can be more bewitching than the one that has so lately entered our sublunary sphere ?” « Ah! I know to whom you allude,” ejaculated Sir Douglas Huntingdon. “Isaw her riding in her carriage tuis very day——” “ Yes—she was pointed out to me in the park last Sunday afternoon,” interrupted Colonel Malpas, speaking rather more quickly than was his wont. “She is a positive angel!” “ No—her beauty is not of a celestial character,” remarked Sir Douglas. “It is the voluptuous loveliness which one’s imagination pictures in an odalisque, reclining languidly on the cushion in some orient seraglio.” * By Jove! *tis an adinirable description of her rich, luxuriant, sensuous style of beauty!” ex- claimed the Earl of Curzon. “Never in all my life did I behold so delicious a creature !” “Who, inthe name of fortune, is this model of loveliness that has turned all your heads?” de- manded the Prince Regent, his curiosity now deeply excited. “What!” exclaimed the Marquis of Leveson: “is it possible that your Royal Highness has not heard of Venetia Trelawney ?” * As mysterious as she is beautiful,” added the Earl of Curzon. * And as virtuous as she is incomprehensible,” remarked Sir Douglas Huntingdon. * Aye—but who can vouch that she is virtuous,” demanded Colonel Malpas,—“since no one appears to be able to get acquainted with her? In fact, every body I meet is talking of her—and not a soul knows her even to speak to.” “It is precisely because she gives not the slight- est encouragement to any one, that I pronounce her to be virtuous,” replied the dissipated baronet. * A certain Duke, who shall be nameless, sent her a blank cheque the other day, with an intimation that she might fill it up to any amount she chose, provided she would look kindly upon him: and she returned it in an envelope, without deigning even to pen a syllable of comment.” “Venetia Trelawney ?” saidthe Prince Regent, repeating the name two or three times in a musing tone: “Venetia Trelawney? Surely [have heard of her before ? By the bye, Horace,” he exclaimed, a sudden recollection striking him, “was it not you who mentioned her to me?” “TI believe I said something on the subject to THE MYSTERIES parks—'tis all the same, until the very aspect of OF THE COURT. your Royal Highness,” answered Mr. Sackville, with a certain embarrassment of manner: but in- stantly recovering himself, he added, “In fact, I now remember that I have once or twice spoken to you, sir, relative to this paragon of beauty.” “Ah! then you also have seen her, Horace ?” cried the Prince Regent. “But you should have’ taken more pains to make me aware that there was such a charming novelty in our great metropolis.” ‘When I alluded to Miss Trelawney, sir, you ap- peared indifferent,” said young Sackville; “ and I did not therefore venture to dwell upon a topic in which your Royal Highness took no interest.” “I suppose my impression at the time was that you were speaking of some beauty of the ordinary stamp—the commonplace average of female attrac- tions,” observed the Prince. ‘“ But if you had told me that this was a grand exception to the general rule—a perfect rarity of the species—Il should have in-tantaneously become as interested in Venetii, Trelawne) as I'am now.” “Ah! she is a woman for whose sake a man might sell his soul to Satan, if such a sacrifice would purchase but a single hour of her love,” said the old Marquis of Leveson, his mouth water- ing at the bare thought of the pleasures which his imagination depicted. . “ And you tell me that no one knows her?” ex- claimed the Prince, in astonishment. ‘“ Here am I surrounded by the most inveterate pleasure- hunters in all London; and yet I am assured that not one of you has contrived by any stratagem to scrape acquaintance with Miss Trelawney ?” “Such, nevertheless, appears to be the fact,” observed Sir Douglas Huntingdon. “I have in- quired of all my friends if they could introduce me to Venetia—and the universal response is, ‘ My dear fellow, I am racking my brains day and night to procure an introduetion for myself.” “This is most extraordinary!” exclaimed the Prince. ‘“ Doyou mean me to understand that she has not a single friend or acquaintance in all London—bnut that she suddenly dropped from the clouds in the midst of a sphere which by all ac- counts she is so eminently calculated to adorn ?” “T mean to say,” answered the dissipated baro- net, “that a few weeks ago this paragon of loveli- ness appeared for the first time in the park. She was riding in a carriage, accompanied by a duenna- like lady of a certain age. Of course every one was ravished at the beauty of the unknown fair one. ‘Who is she? was the universal question. No one can tell. A few days afterwards the re- port circulated that her name bad been ascertained, and that it was Venetia Trelawney. Only con- ceive that delightful, romantic name of Venetia! ‘ Where does she live ? was the next question whieh I asked: but I found that every one else was ask- ing precisely the same thing. Well, in a few days more this query was solved also. Venetia Tre- lawney dwells in a sweet place, called Aeacia Cot- tage, at Knightsbridge. ‘ Who is that duenna-like Jemale that invariably accompanies her ? was the third question prompted by an excruciating cu- riosity—or rather, a tender interest. But this point was more difficult to solve. However, in due time it became pretty well understood that the elderly lady is no relation, but a mere companion or friend; and she is said to be most respectably connected.” sss seston com (C JIOOKS. CO