The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 163: what you’re looking at

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

146 THE COURT OF LONDON is 1t not sometimes the random or ill-directed shot that takes the fatal effect? ”’ “And yet I must challenge him,” reiterated the earl. “You know very well, my dear Venetia, how peremptory is the code of honour.”’ ‘“ Honour! ’’ echoed Venetia, and her beautiful lips writhed in superb disdain. ‘“ Now tell me, is not this thing that you call honour the most wretched, paltry, miserable scarecrow of a sentiment that ever was? Horace is as justified in intriguing with your wite as you are 1n intriguing with his, if if there be any justification at all. And yet because you happen to have found him and your wife out, you must fight a duel.” | ‘To be sure,”’ exclaimed Curzon. ‘‘ Suppose that he had found you and me out, should I not be compelled to go and fight a duel with him? ” “Ah! it is a wretched affair, this code of honour of yours, after all,’ said Venetia. Then, as she started somewhat abruptly from the sofa, she said, ‘‘ I think that I have a book here which exposes the folly of duelling.”’ Thus speaking, she advanced toward a side table which stood in a recess of the chimneypiece, and while pretending to be in search of a book, she pulled the bell-wire, unper- ceived by Lord Curzon. “No, I cannot find the volume,’ she said, and returning to the sofa, she placed herself in the same voluptuous contact with him as before. ‘‘ Now, do you not think you are acting foolishly? Tell me the truth,’ and she began to lavish upon him a perfect torrent of caresses, which seemed of the tenderest as they were certainly of the most exciting nature. She fastened her lips to his, she threw her arms around his neck, and during the intervals of the warm and fervid kisses which they thus exchanged, she breathed the tenderest expressions 1n his ears. Intoxicated with a sense of bliss, the Earl of Curzon forgot all about Editha, all about his contem- plated lawsuit. He thought only of this woman of glorious beauty and of enchanting fascinations who was now placed in such close contact With him, and yielding to the influence, the almost maddening influence, of his desires, he was on the point of snatching the last crowning bliss, when the door of the boudoir was suddenly burst open and Lord Sackville appeared upon the threshold. ) CORMICLIOO KS (E(0)