The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 374: what you’re looking at

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

THE VILLA AT GENEVA 341 the parterres of flowers, and as Emma did not fly very speedily, he was in less than a minute by her side. ‘““ My angel, my charmer! ”’ he exclaimed, seizing her hand and pressing it to his lips, ‘‘ wherefore did you endeavour to avoid me? ”’ ‘““Oh, because this is madness, perfect madness, to scale the wall,’ she answered, with an appearance of mingled alarm and anger. “ Besides, for what do you take me, or what can you think of me, that you adopt such means to seek my presence? ”’ ‘J take you for what you are,’ was the gentleman’s response, as he still retained her hand in his own, “ one of the loveliest of your sex. And I have ventured to watch until you came for your wonted evening walk in the garden, so that I might seek this opportunity of throwing myself at your feet and declaring how much I love you. Oh, wherefore be thus cruel? ’’ he exclaimed, as Emma endeavoured — or at least affected to endeavour — to extricate herself from the half embrace in which he now held her. ‘““Unhand me, sir,” she said, “ and if you wish that proper explanations should pass between us, I am willing to grant you an opportunity for a few minutes.”’ ‘“ Thanks, ten thousand thanks, dearest lady! ’’ exclaimed the gentleman. ‘“ That is all I require.’”’ Then conducting her to a seat in a bower of roses, he said, as he still retained her hand in his own, “ To see you is to admire you, to know you is to love you, but, ah! to be possessed of your love in return were a happiness beyond description! When first I beheld you, — you remember it well, it was two months ago in the cathedral at Milan, —I was instantaneously smitten with the power of your charms. Seizing the oppor- tunity to explain the subject of some painting which you were regarding at the time, I introduced myself to your notice.”’ “ Think you, sir, that I do not recollect the incident full well? ” asked Emma. ‘“‘ I am no prude, there is no ridiculous affectation about me, and I not only remember how we first met at Milan, but likewise how you have since followed me from place to place, until I arrived here with her Royal High- ness three weeks ago.”’ ‘ But you cannot say, Miss Owen,” exclaimed the gentle- man, “ that there has been anything rude, uncourteous, or Cconniclooolks (C(O)