The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

A SINGULAR PROPOSAL 63 ask your ladyship to walk in, as Lady Ernestina is not at home.”’ “Indeed, I am somewhat pressed for time also,’’ observed Venetia, affecting an air as courteous as lf she were really on friendly terms with the nobleman and his niece, instead of loathing the former and hating the latter as heartily as possible. “JT will not detain your ladyship two minutes,’ said the marquis, and he hastened back into the mansion. Ascending to his own chamber, he immediately examined the little packet which Venetia had placed in his hand, and he found that it contained ten of the pearls off the string of a hundred which he had presented to her. ‘This makes fifteen that have already come back to me,”’ he said to himseli as he opened his writing-desk. “ I wish that fellow Tash would manage to lead Sackville into deeper extravagances, but the captain declares that Horace is not so easy to be thus entangled. Still he is launching out into certain expenses which will soon involve him, and ‘lash says that he has some expensive affair of gallantry in hand, too, but he does not know with whom. I wonder whether Venetia wants this money for her husband? ” Thus musing, the Marquis of Leveson drew forth ten bank-notes each to the amount of a thousand pounds, and enveloping them in a sheet of paper, he sealed it and ad- dressed 1t to Lord Sackville. Then, descending with it in his hand, he delivered it at the carriage window to Lady Sackville in such a manner that the footman who stood close by might read the direction, so that all suspicion of anything clandestine between himself and her ladyship would be averted. The equipage- drove away, and as it proceeded back to Carlton House, Venetia thought within herself, ‘“‘ Positively this must be the last time that I apply to that detested nobleman for pecuniary assistance. And yet he managed it delicately enough, so that the servants could not for an instant suspect there was anything strange in my calling at Leveson House.” _ On alighting at the palace, Venetia was informed that a lady had called by appointment and was waiting in the drawing-room. A ray of satisfaction lighted up her lady- ship’s lovely countenance, but before she proceeded to join ECORNICLOOKS (CO) mM