The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 324: what you’re looking at

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

VENETIA AND HER ADMIRERS 293 Venetia appeared to give him upon that occasion, had be- come a more frequent visitor at the suite of apartments which she and Horace occupied at Carlton House; and it is quite certain that he received no discouragement on the part of Venetia. On the contrary, she always managed to be “ at home ’”’ to him; and when he took his leave of her on each occasion, she generally contrived to give him a hint as to the most convenient hour for him to call the next day. At the outset of these visits, he had ventured to press her hand to his lips; and the chiding he received was so gentle that it did not prevent him from snatching a kiss from the damask cheek. At the next visit, therefore,—as this boldness on his part had excited but a moderate degree of resentment, — he was venturous enough to cull the sweets of her delicious mouth. This liberty experienced no very cruel chastisement, _and therefore Sir Douglas felt himself justified in cherishing the fervid hope that ere long these little favours which he obtained in detail would be crowned by the complete sur- render of the fortress. Thus stood matters at the time specified at the opening of this chapter; namely, on that evening in the middle of November when we thus find the Sackvilles, the Earl of Curzon, and Sir Douglas Huntingdon dining with the prince regent. It was about nine o’clock, the dessert had Just been placed upon the table, and the wine was beginning to circulate pretty freely, save with respect to Venetia herself. Never- theless, a little champagne which she had taken at dinner, and the glass of fine old port which she was just sipping now had slightly enhanced the bloom upon her cheeks, deepening it into a richer carnation, while her beautiful blue eyes appeared to swim in a more softly sensuous and melting languor. Delicious, too, was the dewy moisture of those lips which seemed to invite the tenderest kisses, and to be able to give them back again; and as the lustre of the lamps shone upon her rich auburn hair, crowning her with light and setting forth the grandeur of her forehead in all its alabaster purity, she appeared to be one of those beings who can only have an ideal existence in the verse of the poet or the page of the novelist. It was about half-past nine when a footman entered and whispered something in the ear of the prince. COUN (A) IDOOKS (C(O)