The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 45: what you’re looking at

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

26 THE COURT OF LONDON politeness. “ I am in want of money, and have brought my cheque-book.”’ With these words she unfastened the string and prepared to take off as many pearls as would represent the sum she needed, while the Marquis of Leveson opened his desk and produced a large bundle of bank-notes. “One — two — three,” and thus did Venetia go on counting until she had numbered twenty, but when these twenty pearls had been successively drawn off the string, only one more remained upon it. Raising her eyes toward the marquis, she caught the expression of triumph which had gradually expanded upon his features into actual radiance as he beheld Venetia detach all those pearls. ‘“ Ah! my lord,” she exclaimed, in a voice thrilling with exultation, ‘“ I have still one pearl left, and that shall never find its way into your hands. Even at the risk of making you repent altogether of your bargain and refuse to honour the demands which these twenty pearls represent, do I promise you that the one remaining here shall never, never depart from me.” ‘“ Your ladyship is the mistress to act as you choose,” observed Lord Leveson, in a voice of bland politeness; and without even noticing Venetia’s allusion to a possible refusal on his part to supply her with any further funds, he at once proceeded to count down twenty bank-notes each for a thousand pounds. “I believe that your ladyship will find this sum correct,’ and handing the notes over to her, he waited until she herself had counted them ere he took up a single pearl from the table. “The sum is correct, and I thank your lordship,” said Venetia, in a low and tremulous voice, for the remembrance flashed vividly to her mind at the moment that of all the six who had originally made her the object of their amorous pursuits, five had already revelled in her charms, and feeble was now the barrier which separated her from the power of the sixth. His lordship consigned the pearls to his desk, while Venetia thrust the bank-notes into her bosom. She then rose and drew down her veil, to hide the emotion which she felt that her features were but too likely to betray. The marquis handed her back to her carriage, which immediately CORNICLIOOKS (E()