The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 306: what you’re looking at

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

THE FOUR SIRENS 275 such luxury, but no immodest pictures were suspended to the walls; it might have been a room in any palatial mansion the respectability of which was above the breath of scandal. Besides, there was an elegance of taste and an air of refine- ment presiding over the entire appointments of the room, while the sideboard was covered with the choicest wines and the most delicate confectionery, as well as a variety of fruits; but there was no eager rushing on the part of the young females to this sideboard, and the tempting refreshments remained there comparatively unheeded, thus evidencing that the inmates of the room were accustomed to these and all other luxuries. Then, as for the attitudes of the girls themselves, it is true that, as we have already said, they were replete with a volup- tuous abandonment, and the charms of those lovely creatures were most meretriciously displayed. Still, even here there was a gloss of refinement over all, — an elegant polish which showed that they had all been ladies once, in the common acceptance of the term, whatever name they merited now. The good-breeding which from their infancy was theirs was discernible in their manners; there was nothing improper in their discourse, nor had their looks the bold hardihood of a gross and vulgar harlotry. For a scene of iniquity, it was certainly one of the most fascinating that could possibly be presented to the view, and certainly the best composed and the best appointed in all its details within the limits of the modern Babylon. But then Madame Angelique had ever taken great pride in what she wes presumptuous enough to style the “‘ respectability ”’ of her establishment; and as she treated the young women like ladies, and enforced the same demeanour on the part of the female domestics toward them, they on their own part had a certain pride in maintaining a suitable decorum of conversation and manners amongst themselves. | We will now go a little more into detail. Linda, the German girl, was reclining upon an ottoman, negligently toying with her fair tresses, her naked arms and almost completely bared bosom exhibiting the stainless white of a lovely complexion. There was an unspeakable languor about her entire form, and her sensuous abandonment of attitude was displayed with all its most ravishingly dangerous characteristics. Armantine, the French girl, with her dark CORNICLOO© <S (CO)