The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 291: what you’re looking at

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

wee EEE ee = en en al ww se 8 Re eee eee ee eee 278 form's sake !—but atill as a trial suet ensue, it is requisite we should glean every particular. Queen Indora’s name must sooner or later be mentioned in the proceedings; and thorefore as well to-day at this court, ae in anotber place a short time hence. I beseech that your lordship will leave yourself entirely in my hands.” “My friend, I will do so,” answered Lord Clandon ;: and the solicitor retired to his scat. The Inspector now directed Sagéonah to enter the witness-box; ‘and she was first of all ques- tioned by the magistrate in reepeet to her know- ledge of tho obligations of an cath. Her answers were satisfactory; and she was sworn aeconiing to ber own creed. Then—partly in reply to leading questions put by the Inspector and the niagisteate, and partly of her own accord—she proceeded with her evidence. She wpoke the English tongue sufficicntly well to render it entirely nary beauty of her countesance cowld mot feiF to strike those present to whom she Was a strlagere her demeanour was coldly calm und collected; and her voice trembled not. But onde—and ‘once only—did she glance towards the prisoger in the dock ; and this cecasion will be @ontioned in its place. ° She deposed that her name was Sagoonah—that she wae about twenty-six yeare of ‘age—that she had been left an orphan in her vbildhood—from which time she had ‘been brought up about the person of Indora, Princess, and now Queen of In. derabad, an indeperident kingdom of Hindostan. She recollected that about sixteen years back, and consequently when she was only ten years old, an Englishman bearing the name of Clement Redeliffe arrived at the Court of Iuderabad. He was in the East India Oompany’s service, and cane to that Oourt as an accredited diplotaatio agent un the part of the Governor-General. The King of Inderabad, for his own yeseons, detaizied the Englishmen at his Court, and caused 4 rumour -of his death in the jangles to be propagated in other parte of India, so that it might reach the ears of the British func- tionaries at Calcutta. & ah proceeded to state that the Englishumn was treated with all possible distinction at the Court of Inderabad,—his freedom alone excepted. ‘He had sumptuous apartments assigned him ina pavilion attached to the Royal palace; he had slaves to minister unte him—a guard of honour to‘attend him; and riches were showergd upon him. Those around him Were ex- pressly ordered by the King to address with the respect dae toa noble of the highest rank. He was the preceptor of the Princess Indora, whom he instructed in all ‘Haropean acoomplishments, and whom he converted to Christianity. He was fike- wise the King’s Privy Councillor, and was the uneans of introducing a multiplidty of reforms into the institutions of the country. All these were of the most hiberal tendency; and thus, although be was known to be an Englishman and a Christian, he was'an universal favourite with every rade of sddmty in the kingdom of Inderabad. He was al- ways addresded as if he himself wero a Prince; and fh was geveralfy believed that he would espouse tho Prfficess Indora, and become thonarch of the cotin, try whenever the, old king should die, qm eee qn@t@eaws ew! «6 eee Sh nw © 26 teltigible ; : and it was rather with a peculiarity of accdnt: than in broken phrases that she delivered her: testimony. Her veil being raised, the extraordi- | THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. It must be observed that Sagoonah related theso facts in order to give her narrative as much pre- cision as possiblé; but that likewise much of the information she imparted, was elicited from h-r by questions, while the rest was spontaneously afforded from her lips. She proceeded to depose that the Nnglishman Clement Redoliffe frequently implored his freedom, bat could not obtain it., Thus years passed on. At length, in the year 1846, an‘ incident occurred which made Sagoonsh acquainted with some por- tion of his former history. I¢ appeared that an English traveller was found murdered in @ wood in the neighbourhood of the capital; and amongat the documents discovered on his person, was 4 London newspaper. This newspaper feli into the hands of the Englishman Olement RedoWffe. On that very same day Sagoonab was walking in the Court of Fountains belonging to the palace of In- derabad,—when she was the unseen witness of a meeting on tho part of the Englishman and the Princess Tkdora. The Englishman threw himself at the feet of her Highness; imploring that she would intercede with hér royal father to procare his frecdoth, He said that everything which re- garded his native country had hitherto been a per- fect blank to him; buat that the newspaper which had now fallen mto his hands, contained a para- graph bearing allusion to hjé own family, and to his horror tending to criminafe him in respect to'a matder which he never even knew had been com- mitted at all. He mentioned the name of the Duke of Marchmont: he mentioned his own real name of Bertram Vivian. His language was passionate and vokeinent; and she (Sagoonah) thought he scarvely knew what be was saying at the time. Sagoonah continued to depose that sho herself, ddting this in- terview remaifed concealed behind a group of shrubs, and that her presence there was not suse pected by either the Englishman or the Princess, She never told either what she had overheard, but treasared it up in her own bosom. The ¥nglish- man’s freedom Was not accorded him; but some time afterwards he escaped from Inderabad. Then the Princess detérmined upon coming to Eng- land; end Sagoonnh agreed to be her companion. Since they were in England—and very recently— Sagooneh had listened at the door when the pri- soner and Indora were conversing together; and she had heard enough to establish the conviction in her mind that he whom she had so long known by the name of Clement Redcliffe was none other than Bertram Vician—or, more properly, Lord Olandon. “ And the prisoner in the dock,” said the magi- strate, inquiringly, “is the eame person of whom you ave speaking P”’ Now it was that Sagoonah turned her large coal black eyes upon Lord Clandon ; aed they vibrated with that lustre which on former occasions had struck him as 60 sinister, and which had subse- quently ‘haunted him for a period afterwards. That look whieh she thus bent upon him was fuil of a fiendish satisfaction—of a hatred which had succeedetl‘a onée all»potent love ; and as she again turned her regards towards the magistrate, she esid in a firm voice, “ It is he [” “ When you first addressed me this afternoon,” said the Inspector, “ you entered into very minute details in respect to the marder which toek place LOAO© SS (CO)