The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 392: what you’re looking at

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378 theless subjected to renewed excitement every time he found himself in contact with that woman of transcendent beauty. Thus, while he expe- rienced the voluptuous languor of gratified de- sires, he at the same time felt the flaming up of fresh longings in his soul. For it was impossible to be sated with the pleasures that were expe- rienced in the arms of Venetia: her beauty was so grand, and at the same time so enchanting— her fascinations were so irresistible as well as so varied—that it was no wonder if she had ob- tained, in the short period of a few weeks, a more despotic empire than any woman had _ ever achieved before over the mind of his Royal High- ness the Prince Regent. Although in reality hating, abhorring, and detest- ing her lover—despising him as a man, and loathing him as a paramour—she nevertheless dissembled her heart’s true feelings with such consummate success, that the Prince actually believed himself to be the object of her devoted affections. And no wonder: for with matchless duplicity she lavished upon him the tenderest caresses; and while she developed all the sensual blandishments of her naturally amorous disposition in order to render herself adorable as a mistress, she also studied to render available those qualifications which made her estimable as a friend. Thus was it that the Prince was gradually led to con- sult her in respect to political affairs and State ques- tions; and he could not help observing that she was always prepared to express an opinion and proffer her advice on those points as if they had previously formed the subject of her reflections. Whether her inspiration in these respects came irom the intuitive promptings of ler own intelligence,—or from the suggestions of her husband—or from any other quar- ter, we cannot now say : certain itis, however, that the advice which she thus gave was gradually beginning to wield a marked influence upon the Prince—the more so, inasmuch as she always spoke deferentially and not dictatorially, and with the air of a disin- terested friend instead of that of a selfish narrow- minded mistress, On the present occasion, when we find Venetia and the Prince seated together upon the sofa, the conver- sation had been turning upon certain minor appoint- | ments in the civil and diplomatic departments which had to be filled up. A list of the names proposed respectively by the Foreign and Home Secretaries of State, had been submitted to his Royal Highness; and this list now lay upon a table near the sofa. “Well, my dearest Venetia,” said the Prince, “you have not given me your opinion relative to those names—and you know that I value your ad- vice too much not to avail myself of it.” “ My dear Prince, you do me honour,” answered Venetia, flinging upon his Royal Highness the sweet- est smiles, as a Hebe might be supposed to scatter the choicest flowers upon the god of her adoration. “There are about twenty names in that list,’ she continued, taking up the paper and scanning it deli- berately ; “and I must confess that I consider some of the proposed appointments injudicious to a de- gree.” “Can you suggest more suitable ones, Venetia ?” asked the Prince, in a careless sort of way, as he toyed with one of her fair hands, “ Let me see,” exclaimed the lady, tapping him on the cheek, and then taking his gold pencil-case from his waistcoat-pocket, ‘ Here, my dear George, SN (€©) THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. is the post of First Attaché tothe Embassy in Spain about to be offered to Mr. Drummond; whereas Mr. Arthur Fitzherbert should decidedly have the pre- ference.” “ Why, he is the cousin by marriage of Mrs. Fitz- herbert!” exclaimed the Prince: “ and I have told you on three or four occasions almtady, that I have no reason to be pleased with that lady or with any of her connexions.” “ Now, my dear Prince, you are not acting sen- sibly or justly,” said Venetia, turning towards him and placing one of her taper fingers upon his lip as if to prevent him from speaking’farther for the mo- ment: then as she poured upon him the golden flood of her radiant looks, she continued to observe, “ If you have been enabled so readily to forget—or rather to repent of your ancient connexion with Mrs, Fitz- herbert, must I not fear that when wearied of me, you will cease to think of your poor Venetia with love and affection ?” “ Never, never—my heart’s darling!” cried the Prince, throwing his arms around her neck and draw- ing her towards him: then, as her superb bosom heaved and swelled against his chest, he said, “ Ah! dearest Venetia, there is a great difference between our connexion and that which subsisted between me and Mrs. Fitzherbert. You are faithful to me—you will always be faithful: whereas she went to France —intrigued with the Marquis of Beliois—and be- came a mother by him ;—then, on returning to Eng- land, she flew back to my arms, vaunting as it were her fidelity towards me—a fidelity in which fora time I was idiot enough to believe! Nor was the French Marquis her only paramour——Oh! I have had many and signal proofs of her scandalous infi- delities and depravities! And now, therefore, can you wonder if, notwithstanding the tenderness of my original connexion with Mrs, Fitzherbert, I have been alienated from her for nearly twenty years ?” “All this is no doubt true enough, my dear George,”’ said Venetia, redoubling the apparent ar- dour of her caresses and lavishing a thousand seem- ing proofs of tenderness upon her royal paramour, in order the more effectually to rivet the silken bonds and flowery fetters in which her fascinations held his soul captive. “ But nevertheless,” she continued, “you must not visit upon any of Mrs..Fitzherbert’s relations the vindictive sentiments which you may experience towards herself.”’ “ Ah! even if I were inclined to do so, you woald take care, my wily charmer, effectually to prevent it;’—and as the Prince thus spoke in a jocular manner, he indulged in delicious toyings and amo- rous dalliances with his beauteous mistress, “ Why, dearest Venetia,” he continued, in a languid tone, “there are no less than three or four of Mrs, Fitz- herbert’s relatives whom you have positively been the means of appointing to excellent posts withia the last month.” “ And yet, my dear George, you cannot attribute any siaister motives to me,” said Venetia, “in having thus persuaded you to perform what I have conceived to be mere acts of justice ?” “ Sinister motives!” echoed the Prince. “ Those, dearest girl, I should never think of attributing to you! But really you must have a marvellously refined sense of justice thus to intercede in behalf of the relatives of a lady whom, if she could recon- quer her lost influence over me, you would have to regard as a rival.” SS ES OS ee aS ee aS ae . —— —— tow ow o— - ——- — | A nme _- --—— - re ee | -_—-_ ———— ED ee OY Cee Cree ee CONNIECLOOOKS