The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 185: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XV A CHAPTER TO WHICH WE CAN GIVE NO TITLE Ir was nine o’clock on the Monday evening which Venetia had named for her appointment with the prince regent; and his Royal Highness sat alone in a small but sumptu- ously furnished room at Carlton House. A side door com- municated with a bedchamber, which was fitted up with even a surpassing luxury; but that door was closed for the present. The prince reclined upon a sofa in the first-mentioned apartment, and he was giving free rein to all the voluptuous thoughts which the image of Venetia could not fail to conjure up in his easily excitable imagination. Within reach of his hand stood a table spread with wines of many exquisite descriptions and a choice dessert; a cheerful fire blazed in the grate; the heavy hangings were drawn over the windows, and the atmosphere was warm and perfumed. A lustre suspended to the ceiling diffused a rich and mellow light through the room, and the general aspect of luxurious comfort was enhanced by the velvet drapery which covered the doors, as if not even the faintest thrill of a wintry air should be allowed to penetrate thither. We said that the prince was yielding himself up to the pleasures of imagination, as a meet and provoeative prelude to the more real joys that were to come. For he had no doubt as to Venetia’s keeping her appointment, inasmuch as she had written him a note in the morning reiterating in her own beautiful calligraphy the hurried promise she had made on the evening of the banquet at Colonel Malpas’s house. As he thus reclined upon the sofa, confident in the sin- cerity of his expected charmer, the prince insensibly found 162 (COUN (-) IDoOakKs (E(0)