The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 261: what you’re looking at

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

244 REYNOLDS’ WORKS herself, and never had they themselves performed with such magical effect. ; But when the Signora Vivaldi retired from the stage, and was succeeded by the full corps of the ballet, how different was the dance which took place. Then meretricious looks were thrown around. Then voluptuous attitudes were studied, and then, too, was it nought save an appeal to the sensuousness instead of the sense of all the spectators. Unless, perhaps, in the case of Henrietta Leyden; but she, poor girl, played too obscure a part in the mazy and intricate routine of the ballet, either to attract any particular degree of attention to herself or to give effect to the chastity of her own style. Suddenly, in the midst of the dance, so quick and violent a paroxysm of intense feeling seized upon her — all the tenderest emotions surging up, as it were, to the very lips and to the eyes of the poor girl — that it seemed as 1f she must burst into tears, and catching the opportunity of being close by the wings she retreated from the stage. To the angry demand of the ballet-master, whom she at once encountered there, she replied in a broken voice that she had been taken with indisposition, and as she was but a mere accessory easy to be dispensed with, and whose absence would not be missed, he said no more. Nor did he trouble himself any further about the poor girl or her indisposition the next instant after she had dis- appeared from his view. The tears had now gushed forth from her eyes, and she sped to the nearest dressing-room, anxious to escape from the notice of those amongst whom she hurriedly passed, — performers, carpenters, scene-shifters, and others. In the confusion of her feelings and in her haste to conceal them, she did not notice that she had opened the door of a chamber which was not her own, and rushing abruptly in, she per- ceived not her mistake until all in a moment she found herself in the presence of Angela Vivaldi. Then, casting through her tears a rapid glance around, the poor girl dis- covered that she had entered the wrong room. Starting back, Henrietta began to stammer forth some words of apology, when Angela said, in the kindest voice and with the sweetest manner possible, “ You have given no offence; it was a mistake on your part. But heavens! you are weeping. Surely it is not because you are afraid —” © Gomichbooks.Go oe ———————