The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 381: what you’re looking at

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

300 REYNOLDS’ WORKS the elegant Parisian sleeves which at that time had just come into fashion. This German beauty was known to the Duke of Marchmont by the Christian name of Linda. The fourth was a charming Irish girl, with mischievous eyes and piquant features, — the dewy lips expressive of much feeling, and the form combining elegance of sym- metry with lithe and willowy grace. She answered to the name of Eveleen. And now we may add, in respect to all four that they possessed teeth white as pearls, and that in this respect, if an apple of discord had been thrown amongst them, no Trojan umpire could have honestly and conscien- tiously awarded it to any one in particular. In short, Lettice, Armantine, Linda, and Eveleen were assuredly four of the loveliest specimens of the female sex that could possibly be found grouped together in the same apart- ment. That the Duke of Marchmont was no stranger to them was evident by the manner in which they greeted him on his arrival. The restraint which his rank might elsewhere have imposed was here altogether lost sight of, as will be seen from the way in which the young females respectively addressed him. ‘Is it you, my dear Marchmont? ”’ exclaimed Lettice, the English woman, as she gave him admittance by means of the mysterious mirror-contrived doorway, and she spoke in a rich flutelike voice, which seemed quite appropriate to the fine, well-developed, and imposing style of her beauty. “That wicked Marchmont, who always makes me drink so much champagne,” exclaimed Mademoiselle Armantine, who spoke English with only just so much of a foreign accent as to render it interesting when floating on her soft, silvery tones. ‘It is just why Marchmont is welcome,” said Linda, | the German girl, who also spoke English well, ‘ because | he is sure to give us champagne.”’ | ‘‘ Hold your tongues, you selfish creatures,’ cried Eveleen, the Irish girl, with that interesting intonation of voice which gives such a peculiar charm to the Hibernian accent upon the lip of a well-bred daughter of the Emerald Isle. “ Let us welcome him in another way,” and with sportive joyousness she wound her arms about the duke’s neck, at. the same time kissing him upon either cheek. Eomichbooks:. co