The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

THE APPOINTMENT 59 ing her features, so that she could not possibly be recog- nized by any one belonging to the establishment. This lady was the wife of the Minister of the Interior, but wherefore had she thus stealthily sought an interview with Kate? This question will be speedily answered by the incidents which we are about to record. The hours passed, evening came, the dusk set in, and at length the iron tongue of Time proclaimed the moment of the appointment which Miss Marshall had consented to keep with the Minister of the Interior. This functionary had given an intimation to his domestics that they were to be out of the way so far as his own private suite of apart- ments was concerned; and they, comprehending full well that their master had in hand one of his wonted affairs of gallantry, took the hint and were careful to obey it. Faith- ful to his promise to Kate Marshall, he extinguished the lights in the vestibule, on the staircase, in the spacious landing to which that staircase led, everywhere, in short, from the entrance door to that of his own chamber, and within the chamber itself hkewise. He was apparelled in a dressing-gown, his feet were thrust into slippers. His heart was beating with the excitement of his passions, for his fervid imagination was enabled to define and delineate all the con- tours of that shape which the dress of his intended victim had concealed, although to a certain extent developing them. He thought to himself that the moment was now at hand which was to give him one of those rewards for which he had laboured and toiled and intrigued, inasmuch as he regarded the possession of power not merely as a crowning triumph of his ambition, but likewise as the means of grat- ifying his insatiate lust for pleasure. It was, as we have said, ten o’clock, and already for at least five minutes had the licentious minister been waiting in the vestibule, — waiting there in the darkness for the arrival of her whom he expected. Nor was he kept long in suspense. ‘The bell at the entrance rang; he flew to open the door, and a female form, closely veiled, passed into the vestibule. “‘ Beauteous creature, I thank thee,’’ exclaimed the im- passioned minister, “‘ for thus punctually keeping the ap- pointment of love,” and now feeling that he had a right to consider her his own, shrouded in the darkness as they were, ) CONNIE LOOKS (FO)