The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 257: what you’re looking at

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

240 REYNOLDS’ WORKS sympathy for the young creature. ‘“ Look around you, what gaiety 1s upon every countenance! Observe Emily Archer, for instance, or Mademoiselle d’Alembert, as she chooses to call herself, — how she and young Saxondale are laughing together! Jam told that she is now under his protection, and it is natural she should be happy.” Henrietta Leyden was again turning away in mingled disappointment and disgust at the words which Lord Everton thus addressed to her, when he desired her to stop once more, and she, timid and bashful as she was, and fearful of drawing attention to herself by creating “‘ a scene,” shrank back into the corner where she had previously been standing; but at the same time she murmured, in a supplicating voice, “‘ My lord, I beseech you to leave me.”’ The old nobleman beheld not that look of earnest entreaty which, as she spoke, she raised to his countenance. He saw only the beautiful blue eyes of the young ballet-girl, and thence his glances wandered to the pearly teeth that were visible between the virginal freshness of the lips, and to the white shoulders and neck which the scant, gauzy drapery left bare. | ‘“ You know,” he said, “‘ that I am very rich, and I can be | as liberal as I am wealthy. I told you that I had something . very serious to impart, and it is so. The other night you | thought, perhaps, I was speaking mere unmeaning phrases, and addressing you in idle flatteries, and therefore you turhed away, just as you were turning away a minute ago. But I am serious in offering you a mansion, splendid equipages, gold beyond all counting. I will surround you with luxuries, you shall quit the stage, and become a lady, nay, more, I will even settle upon you an annuity, so that at my death you will continue well off. All this I will do for you, Henrietta Leyden, and I came hither this night for the purpose of making you these proposals.”’ The young girl actually shivered from head to foot as she felt herself gradually yielding to the influence of these temptations. Wealth was suddenly placed within her reach; the dismal word proverty need never ring in her ears again, nor the spectral shade of want rise in its ghastly leanness and lankness before her affrighted view. She thought of the wretched garret from which she had come forth a few hours back to the brilliant scene of the opera, and to which she EORMIE MOO KS