The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 343: what you’re looking at

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

310 THE COURT OF LONDON the demand shall be duly honoured. I thus open for your ladyship’s use a credit, as your banker in reserve, for one hundred thousand pounds.” “And what condition is attached to this unheard-of munificence? ’’ asked Venetia, with a satirical smile, ‘‘ for I am well aware that your lordship is playing the usurer with me in one way or another.”’ “ Yes, frankly I admit that it is so,’”’ replied the Marquis of Leveson. ‘‘ I am purposely, seriously, and deliberately laying out my money at a satisfactory interest.” ‘“‘ And that interest? ”’ said Venetia, interrogatively. ‘Your love,” rejoined the marquis, gazing at her fixedly in the face, in order to observe how she would take the answer just given. ‘““My love?’’ she echoed, with a voice and look which showed that she had anticipated the reply. ‘‘ I am certainly flattered at the high value you set upon it. But do you really propose to purchase what you term my love for one hundred thousand pounds? ” ‘Let not such a word as purchase pass between us,”’ said the nobleman. “ In a spirit of speculative friendship, I open to you a credit on my purse to the amount named, with the understanding that on that day and in that hour when you shall present the last pearl of the hundred upon this string, you will not retreat from my arms when I fling them around your neck and say, ‘ Venetia, you are mine!’ ”’ “You have now proved yourself explicit indeed,’’ ob- served Lady Sackville. ‘I will not be angry with you, nor will I ridicule you for the proposal you have made. Nor shall I return the pearls — ”’ “Ah!” ejaculated the marquis, in a subdued tone of triumph, ‘‘ then you consent to the proposition? ”’ ‘“T consent to it thus far,’’ returned Venetia, rising from her seat, ‘‘ that if I ever do present these symbolic cheques upon you, my self-constituted banker in reserve, I shall consider myself bound by the most solemn and sacred ties of honour to pay you the interest for which you have stipulated. But believe me, my lord,’’ she added, with a smile most sweetly wicked and ravishingly malicious as it revealed her ivory teeth, ‘‘ believe me, my lord, when I assure you that these pearls, so far from ever returning into your hands, will be retained in my jewel-coffer as a proof that under no Eomichbooks.co