The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 332: what you’re looking at

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

THE BRILLIANT ENTERTAINMENT 301 and sister, — such a striking similitude between them, and their personal beauty was of so high and intellectual an order, that it was impossible for any one who had a heart susceptible of right and proper feeling, to be otherwise than moved toward this young pair. Though their manners were naturally retired and unobtrusive, yet had they gentility’s perfect gloss; every gesture denoted good breeding, and there was an elegance as well as a refinement about them which would have led a stranger to believe that they were the offspring of one of the highest families in the land. Christina leaned upon her brother’s arm, — her beautiful shape set off by a costume which was characterized by taste- ful elegance, and though she had received costly gifts from Queen Indora and from Mr. Redcliffe, yet did she now wear little jewelry, — not because she herself egotistically appre- ciated the poetical aphorism which says that ‘‘ beauty when unadorned is adorned the most,’’ but because her taste in this respect was naturally simple. Her raven hair flowed in heavy tresses upon her polished, stainless shoulders, and as this was the first time she had ever made her appearance in so large and brilliant an assemblage, there was a certain flutter in her heart, which gave a carnation hue to her cheeks, and this animation rendered her beauty not merely interesting, but likewise brilliant at the moment. Her brother Christian certainly never appeared to greater advantage. The evening costume which he wore — the black dress coat and pantaloons, with the snowy white waist- coat — set off the slender symmetry of his shape, and his dark hair, parted in natural curls above his high open fore- head, enframed as it were that seat of the loftiest thoughts. No wonder therefore that this beautiful young couple — for the word beautiful is not misused even in reference to the masculine good looks of our young hero himself —should have created a considerable sensation when they entered the saloon. Sir Frederick Latham perceived the effect thus pro- duced; he saw that the young pair had in a moment become the cynosure of attraction, and though he outwardly be- trayed not what he felt, yet did he inwardly congratulate himself on the policy which had induced him to invite Christian and Christina to his entertainment. After Sir Frederick and Lady Anastatia Latham had con- versed for a little while with Mr. and Miss Ashton, the danc- EOMINGIOOKS (CO)