The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 285: what you’re looking at

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

@¢ she might encoun atairs. Nevestheles, ¢ opportunity. Ghe descended from the couch: she door and listeneds there was no one the staircase or the landing. She knew—or at eonessived to the best of her knowledge, that the Queen’s boudoir: qnd is was towards Ohsistitie’s chamber that she sped. A -per own room, having , Ske thrust -) : ait Fi The nurse, overwhelmed with terror, cenk down an @ swoon ; and the ayah, springing from the bed, convinced herself that the woman‘ wag indeed plunged into a stata of unconsciousness. She cuffered her ta lie where she had fallen; and the eheet being taken off her,“Sagoonah kept her eyes rivetted upon the nurey’a ecuntenance, 20 that she might be ication of her Frepared for the firet ind aw » With all possible speed did apparel herself in the germionts ahs had taken from Obristina’s room; and nuree gave no clan of life while the ayah was thus performing her t. It was with an exulting heart dhat Sagoonsh found circumstances to be progressing thus favour- ably: hut still there were risks to be incurred. At any moment Christina might enter the chamber’; ter that young lady upon the Sagoonah was prepared for every had thus far progressed so satisfactorily. The old marse was just heginning to give signs of returning con when h opened the door— lietened for an inetant—and then hurried forth. Xt was a garden-bonnet, with a blue gause veil, which she had taken from Cbristine’s room; and she drew that veil over her countenance. Gliding down the stairs, che reached the hall just as 0 t was entering it from the farther extremity. Bagoonah sped to the front door with ® degree of haste which somewhat astonished the domestia, who took her to be Miss Ashton. In « moment however the ised Hindoo woman dis- from the servant's view; and the front done closed behind her. Gaguunah was now free, She hastened through and other needfal articles. quickly taken possession of; and alo the garden—sbe reached the gate—she sped along the lane towards the main road. She looked back: no one was in pursuit:—more elated grew her heart—her feclings were indeed now at the highest piteh of exultation | hastened onward. She dared not enter a vehicle, for she had no money in her pooket; and she had lived long enough in England to hate a full knowledge of the jndispenssble cha. racter of that article in its application to nearly all the circumstances of life. But she had not far before she encountered a police- officer ; and to him she addressed herself. Meaawhile her fligtft was discovered at the villa. The female-servant who had seen her pase through the hall, and had teken her for Miss Ashton, natu- 1 vally conceived from the precipitation of her egress that something serious was occurring, and that the invalid ayah was perhaps much worse, so that Obristing had hurried off to fetch the medical at- tentiant. ‘The servant ascended the stairs, to see if whe could render the nurse any assistance: but on entering the sick ehamber, she was stricken with dismay on finding that Sagoonah was gone and that the nurse lay gasping upon the carpet. The servant rang the bell instently for assistance, while she began to administer restoratives to the nares; and the first pefson who answered the pealing of that bell, was Christina berself. Ex- planations were speedily given; and 9 rapid search made in Christina’s own chamber, cleared up the mystery. Some of her apparel had disappeared. the ayah had evidently fled ! The faithful Maerk—the Queen’s major-domo— éped in pursuit: but i¢ was too late—Sagoonah was nowhere to be found. Christina was at first almost frantic, blaming bereelf for not having exer- cised sufficient vigilance during the Queen's ab- sence. She likewise began to reproach the nurse for what she naturally conceived to be her treacherous complicity in the flight; because Miss Ashton could not conjecture that Sagoonth herself had procured the apparel which served as the dis. guise for her departure. The nurse however pro- tested her innocence, and explained what had oovurred, so far as the sudden attack upon herself was concerned. The condition in which ahe was found by the female servant, corroborated bor tale; and Christina, now convinced that the swoun was no simulated one, regretted the reproaches she had addressed to thé poor woman. The nurse ad- mitted having jeft Sagooneh alone for about ten minutes; and thus thé manner in which the appa- rel might have been procured, seemed to be fully explained. That the ayah had been practising some stupendous hypocrisy was also apparent ; for that she could have so suddenly regained her senses and adopted such energetic proceedings without deliberation and forethought, was not to be sup- posed. Mark, on his return from hie ineffectual puraait, was despatehed by Obristina withi@ho in-: telligence to Queen Indora at Isabella Vincent's mansion » and her Majesty returned in all haste to the villa. Thence she despatched a note to Mr. Redeliffe at his lodgings in Mortimer Street, Oaven- dish Square. Let us now return to Sagoonah, whom we left at the moment she was accosting the first police- officer whom she encountered after her flight from the villa. é COLUM LOAO© SS (CO)