The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 283: what you’re looking at

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

a= ~ Tip ee ee Ge ee ee eee ee 370 CHAPTER CXXXVII. THY TREACHEROUS HINDOO WOMASZ. Ws jast we spoke of the ayah Segoonah, it was tu describe her lying in her couvh at Queen In- dora’a villa, and making unconeciqua revelations respecting the past, During the night of the day which followed, a gleant of intelligence came back iato Sagoonah’s mind: it faded awey—presently ib returned~it subsided again—and then it came back with -increasing power. She was altogether recovering her covaciousnest. Long before morning dawied on that night of which we are speaking; Sagoguah wae in complete possession of her mental faculties; and though she uttered not a word, she was nuw aware of her position and of the frightfnk‘ealamity which hed befallen her. Collecting bor ideas, she sottied them upon that memorabid evening when disguisod in the appurol of her mistress, and laden alsowith the treasnte plundered from ‘the Queen, "she had intended tu escape from the villa, but only fo be stricken down by an assassin’s dagger ! By the bedside she perceived-an elderly woman whow she had no difftealty” in redognising af a uurso; and presently the Quévu herself entered the chamber. 8 closed het eyea; and appeared to be sleeping profoundly. Thé turae Milited the room fur sume purpose: Indora bes Over the ayhh; and dntertaining not the slightest suspicion that tho treavherous 'Hindoo was now in possession of her reasoning faculties, ber Majesty gave audible expression to the thoughts that were uppermost in her utinds « “© Gageobah, Bagoonak f she murmured 5 “bow cvuld roa have so wicked—you whom I loved and trusted P” No change upon the ayal’s countenance denyted that she beard or comprekended what was thus being eaids,.ard Indora, wipiog away. the tears witich had trickled down het cheeks, retired to an ottoman at a little distance from the couch; afd seating herself there, she fell into a profound re- verie. Shortly afterwards Christina. Ashton cntered the chamber; and baving bent over the ayab, whom she believed to be sill steeped in axpynsoivusnens, she gased on her counténance for a few momenta. Then, heaving a profuuod sigh, Christina turned towards the Queen; and daid in a holf-bushed voice, “Think you, dear lady, that Sagoonah will ever recover P” “You — she will recaver,” responded Indora; “she is evidently much better. This much 1 van tell by her countenance. But perhaps, my dear Christina, it were batter fot her own sake that she should never recover!-~for if she bave any goud fesling left, the remainder of her life must be apons amidat the agonies of reniorse.”. “Qh, yes, dear laty{” continued Christina; “so roach wickedness is inouwprehensible! There was suph refinement in it that one is almust justified in fupoying that the spirit of a fend must have in- spired her for thetime! The snake-———O heavens ! I shudder when I think of 2¢!” “ And well may you shudder, dear Christina,” rejoined the Qucen; “for it was terrible! Even while the reason,of that wretched girl had lust ith guiding power, yet was couscicnce at work, and in F (wont to bear towarda hor! TBP eR: yy TT get Cr enitedh weg hess Gipe,e abe EEE THe era 6 - Ee ene-neba THER MYSTERIRS OF THE COTRT . eT a) =» ~- s = Paruetiyeenes a her dreams did she make those revelations whioh have conveyed to our knowledge all the wiekedne*; of her conduct. But she will revover, ; tina-—” “And it is you, lady,” unswered our heroiae, “who will have saved tho life of her who sought to take your own!” “Yes —she will recovor,” continued the Queen, in a musing manner, yet speaking audibly; “and she wall have leisure for repentance, if her heart be suaceptible thereof !” “ Huve you decided, dear lady,” asked Chris- tina, “‘ upon the course whioh you intend hereafter to adopt with regard to her P” “ You know, Christina,” replied Indora, “ that if is my hope and expectation to be in a short time enabled to return to my kingdom ; and if no fresh circurnstances transpire tu ulter my plan, I shall teko Sagoonah with me. But never again can I give hor my confidence—much less resture ber tho love which, all menial though she were, I was lifo must be passed in strictest seclusion at Iuder- abad. If she be truly penitent she will not grow impatient of that compuls iry retirement to which it is my purposes to cunsign her: but if, on the gther hand, her soul shall continue to cherish ran- coruus thoughts, it will be ‘all the more necessary that she should be deprived‘bf the power of doing miachiel,” “Oh! let us hope that she will be penitent !”" said Christina ; “let us hopo it, chiely fur her own sake !” Here the conversation terminated : but not ono aingle syllable thereof had been lost to Sayoonnh. She now comprehended thnt all her iniguity was known; and that even the most terrific opisude of her criminal proceedings--namoly, that of the gobra di capello—had ceased to be u mystery. Sho saw too that an oternal imprisonment in her own sative land was to be her doom —unless in- deed she hereslfshould be enabled to frustPate the desigzus of the Queen. pient was intended tu bo assuciated with the must lenien§ circumstances, Sugounah comprehended, pot merely from the way in which her Majesty spoke, but hkewise from her knowledge of that royal lady’s diypusition. Nevertheless, the thought of such) compulsory seclusion was sufficient tu fill the soul of the ayah with dread and cunsterna- tion. We have seon how conscience had been actively at work when reason’s puvorning powcr was ab- sent ; but now that tho intellect had reoovered its bajlunce, and that the mental fucu'tics had resumed their empire once again, the evil passions of tho ayah ehabled her to atifle all thoge repruaches of the monitor within ler bosom. Jer crimes were knowa ; and ve: agaiu could she louk her muis- tresa in the fuce! Besides, to become a4 prisoner fur the rest of her days—thie was intolerable | And to know that Iudora would enjoy happiness in the love of Cleraent Rudevliffe—thie likewise was invre than the jealous Sayoonah could pussibly make up her mind tv ovatemplate! She loathed the very idea of the kindnees which she must have been experiencing at the Queen’s hands since the evening when the dagger of the assassin struck her duwn ;—and thus her soul was in every sense filled with yall and bitterness, Punitence and m- 4 e The remainder of her | l, But that this lim prison: | | | | COMmicoOokKks.Cconm