The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 216: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. Statue-like did Indora stand close by the couch —with upbeaved bosom breathlessly listoning to whatsoover might first coherently come from Sagoonah’s lips. Again did the ayah movo her arms, as if with a feverish uneasiness; and the ‘Queen was about to soothe her with the mesmeric influence of caresses again, when the ayah spoke intelligibly and plainly, though feebly and in broken words. “ Yes—I did it ell!—the wickedness was mine !” she thus murmuringly said. “But it was that fiend —the Frenchwoman—who prompted mef Oh, why did I listen to her? For all the plotting was against my dear good mistress—my mistress ———the plotting-~——Indora——my mistress |” . Now Sagoonah opened her large dark eyes: she almost immediately closed them again; aud for a few instants it appeared as if sho were dead, so breathlessly silent did she lic. The Queen was alarmed, and placed her band upon Ssguonah’s bosom: but tho heart was beating within. Again did the ayab sluwly open her eyes, and Jook up vacantly at the countenance that was bending over her. Thas for upwards of «a minute did she gaze at her royal mistress; and when she closed her eyes again, it wis without any sudden glitter Co show that she had recognised the countenance which thus bent over her. But once more cid her tongue give utterance to feebly articulated and broken sen- tences; and onco moro did the Queen listen with breathless attention. “Yes—it was that fiend the Frenchwoman— Madame Angelique,” continued Sagoonah, “ who did it all. Abl that night—when [ ponetrated into the Queen’s chamber —the intent was horrible —-it was to take hor life! Christina saved ber! Yes—the English girl saved my mistress on that occasion—or she would bave been dead, dead’ There was another long interval of silence, during which Indora listened in a state of dis- | jthe vacant astonishment, half-dismayed end half: ‘inquiring, of @ young child who awakens in a ‘strange bed and in a strange room. mayed and horrified suspense for whatsoever migh®next come from Sagvonab's hipa. ‘Ab! that temptress—that vile, vile woman !” again murmured Sagoonah: “ft was she who urged me on!—Oh!” and here the ayah shuddered visibly, and with a violence that shook the very bed beneath ber, ‘Show could I have touched that reptile? Its fangs might have entered my flesh! —its venom might have circulated in my veins! Ab, my poor mistress !—that day you took me to the gardens—the gardene—tho—the-———” The rest of the sentence was lost in incoherent murmuripgs: but Sagoonsh had said enough to send a light horribly flashing in unto the brain of the Queen, clearing up in a moment the mystery of that serpent’s prescoce within the walls of the villa some little while back. Indora was shocked appalled: the revelation was as frightful as it was finexpected. Sagoonsh, conscionce-stricken even in Wer unconsciousness, was thus giving « cies of subdued delirious vent to the terrifte in- eidents of guilt which weighod upon her soul. “The messengers from India came at the mo- ment,” continued the ayah, in the same murmuring broken accents as Before: “the reptile was iu the souch—all was prepared—death was in its sting— tenom in fte fangs: but heaven would not permit my mistress to perivh then / Take it from me-- take it from me, that hideous reptile!-—Oh, take it, take it from ne! Oh, oh!” aa Again was Sagounah’s form convulsed with a viglen6 shudder: the bed shook under har—she writhed upon the couch—she half-turned roand ia spasmodic convulaion: again wero her arms tossed and agitated® wildly. This time Indora had not the presence of mind to apply her soothing influ. ence: she was tranefixed to the spot with the horror that like a night-mare filled her soul. This last revelation from Sagoonah’s life, in respect to the cobra di capello, was eo frightfully incredible— and yet all circumstances combined to prevent it from being for a single moment disbelieved ! “That English girl—Chrietina Ashton,” con- tinued Sagoonah, in feebler and more broken ac- cente than those in which she had laghepoken, “ is an angel inearthly form! She has told me of the angels of her creed—and she is one-——<she bas spoken of herself! Shoe is the Good Genius of my mistress: her presence is a talisman against all evil to Indora. No, uo, vile woman !——no, no, Madame Angelique! I will do nothing more ¢o Indoral Christina’s presence saves her. Fool! you carry ber off—but she comes back—she escapes from your toils—she is an angel—an angel of her own creed! Nor can you dispose of her as you will——-that angel—that eangel-——angel !” Here wae another revelation for the Queen: the mystery of Christina’s furced abduction was now cleared up. “Yea, Christina eseaped from you, vile woman f’ continued Gagoonah : “sho came back—to be the Good Genius of iny mistress, who is kind to her! Ob, [ will do no more to Indora! But that Englishman—the first whom I ever saw—the only one whom I ever loved-———Ah f his :mage is hore —here here Sagoonah turned uneasily upon her pillow; and jwith a low gasping sigh she laid ber right hand upon her heart. Again she opened her large dark eyes; and she appeare to look slowly arouod with Indora bent ofer Sagoonah to see if she would be recognised : but the lids closéd gradually, and with an air of heaviness, upon the ayah’s eyes: the long ebon | Yashes again resting upon the dusky paloness of the cheeks. There was another interval of silence, during which Sagoonah appeared to sleep in pro- foundest tranquillity,—uatil her bosom began slowly toheave vith une lung deep-drawn sigh, and more words wavered murmuringly upon her lips. “ No, notlove!—it is hatred now!’ she said; “hatred, because he loves another !—batred be- cause he will not accept my love! Oh, wretched, wretched Sagoonah, to appeal to him in vain—to ‘entreat and to threaten in turns—and all so fruit- leasly! And Ae eo culd, eo reserved, so distant-——= Aye, and even eo disdaioful! But I will be avenged! I will leave this house, never to re- turn!—Ah! my mistress has jewels and gotd—I | may be rioh—poverty shall not clutch me with ite long, lean, withered hands,--nor hover round me with its gaunt, squalid, efmaciated form! Away, away to a magistrate !—let the blow Be struck at once a double blow—a biow that shall crush Aim and overwhefn Aey with despair! YWos—a blow that shall destroy both at once! There had already Been too much of love: the time bas come for hatred. Buf, no f not in this white dreas of minc LOAO© COLUM SS (CO)