It did not occur to her that she was really and truly in love with Lancelot Vane.
She had plenty of time to reach the trysting place, but to walk slowly was impossible.

Her nerves were in too much of a quiver.

It hardly wanted a half hour of seven o'clock when she entered upon the path, leading from St.James's Palace to the pond.
Vane was not less desirous of being punctual than Lavinia, and he had indeed arrived at Rosamond's Pond some five minutes before her.

While he was impatiently pacing by the side of the water and anxiously looking along the path by which he expected she would come, a lady whose dress was in the height of the mode and masked approached him.

In those days a mask did not necessarily imply mystery.