The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 319: what you’re looking at

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

286 THE COURT OF LONDON of being accosted by Editha, but still wondering somewhat whether she would be there at all. ‘“ It was about three o’clock in the afternoon that Sackville had my anonymous note,” thought the earl within himself, ‘and since then the interval has been too short for him to convey an intimation to Editha either that he will not be here to-night or that he will come in some other garb than that indicated in his letter. I have watched all the comings in and goings out at home in Grosvenor Street this afternoon and evening, and no more letters have arrived, no lackey from Carlton House has called with either note or message. "Tis true that the minx Gertrude went out in the afternoon almost immediately after Editha received the two letters, but it could not have been to make any fresh arrangement with Lord Sackville, because he himself only received my warning at about the same time and could not therefore in any way have communicated a change of plan to Editha. That all goes well, then, I may suppose. Besides, Editha and her precious maid went out together ere now in the carriage, both cloaked and veiled. Doubtless my wife has brought her abigail with her to see the beauties and mingle in the intrigues of a masked ball. But if so, what an insult to Lady Wenlock and all these noble ladies, to introduce an obscure serving-wench hither! ’Tis clear, even if I enter- tained any doubt before, that Editha is entirely in Gertrude’s power, and she propitiates the artful girl by bringing her to such a scene as this. Oh, it is high time that the progress of such intrigues should be stopped.’ Such were the musings of the Earl of Curzon during the first quarter of an hour that he sauntered through the saloons of Lady Wenlock’s mansion. Every now and then his eyes were fixed upon some beauteous form whose symmetry re- sembled that of his wife, and then he scrutinizingly looked to ascertain if the hair of the masked lady possessed that same rich gloss and purply hue which characterized the tresses of Editha; but even when he felt most assured that he recognized his wife in some exquisitely dressed masque who passed him by, he soon found that he was mistaken, as none of all these accosted him with the watchwords pointed out in Sackville’s letter. He passed into the dancing-rooms, he proceeded along the brilliantly lighted passages, he lounged on the superbly Eomicbooks (E(0) mn