The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 299: what you’re looking at

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

thankfulness ta heaven for the manner in which ahe had escaped from the hideous peril. “Yee.” continued Sagoonab, displaying the leathern case with 9 apecies of frensy, “ it was thig that brought the deadly reptiie hither, Oh! would thet it had darted its coils ground my arm and plunged its fangs into my flesh !—what re- morse would have now been spared me! Wretch wretch that I have been! Buyt I swear to you, lady, that such 1s Row my self-loathing—so intense ig ¢he abhorrence with which «J now regard my- self—so sick and wearied am | of life, that were the envenomed reptile still within thi I would plunge in my hand! Thus, thas would I plunge it in !—and if the serpent were torpid, I would excite it into its fullest and most terrible vitality-——I would court its sting\-end I would bo thankful that I had the power so soon to perish |” As she thus spoke with impassioned and almost tensied véhemeney, Segoonah tore open the jap- ping cover of the cage, and thrust in her hand. | was no mere atage-performence to producay an effect : it wae the eation of ane who was lebouring under morbid feelings moat acutely excited. And as she spoke of stirring up the reptile from its torpor, she passionately ground her hand down as it were into the case: she infitated what she would have done in the circumstances which she was sup- posing. Her white teeth gleamed betwixt the part- ing vermilion of her thin well-cut lips: ber eyes sparkled with unnatgral fires. The twins thought she was going mad. Indora herself was about to use her authority and command her to be tranquil. All of a sudden Sagoonsh drew forth her band from the case, which she immedigtaly dropped ; and theq for an inatant she contemplated the back of thet hand with the most earnest sorytiny. She was seen to reel slightly : and then a ery as if of wild, half-frensied, and tétrible joy thrilled from her lips. “Ob, I cgmprehend it!” she exclaimed, sinking upon an oltoman ; “ and death is coming to meat last! Lady, you are avenged—ang my contem- lated crime has brought its pwn punishment ! Ob, Fam dying !—the deadly poison is even pow circu- lating in my veins! That eage!—touch it not in- side! Consign it to the fire—let it bé consumed at once !—there ig death within} The serpent has left one of ite venomed fangs there !” ° A harrible light now flashed in unto the brains of the Queen and the twins; and with a frightful clearness did they comprehend the ayah’s meaning. Cries burst from their lips, as with one accord they aprang towards her. Indors lifted the ayah’s hand ; and a slight pyncture—or rather scarcely percep- tible scratch, from which a drop of blood had oozed forth—was visible upon the back of that hand. “Qh! what can we do to save her?” cried Christina and her brother, as itcwere in the game breath. “No earthly power can save her: answered tho Queen 90 vs “she must perish! QO Sagoo- nah! hed ved I could not have forgiven you : but pow fret death has fastened upon you, I as- surd zou of my pardon !” The‘ tight of an unspeakable joy animated the dying ayah’s coqutenance; and seizing with hey ed hand qne of the hands of her mistress, te pragaei if fervently to her lips. * f r Map? 64 am THE MYSTERIES OF THE COUL?. eee wwe See eae eee ee =, ae = wm “May heaven’s choicest blessings, lady, alight upon your head!” she exclaimed; “and may you yet he happy! Oh! something will yot arise to accomplish this heppiness for you !|—it is impossi- ble that one so good and generuus should be absp- doned by heaven! Ab! whet balm has your words poured into my heart! I shall now weloome doath—-for J have received your pardon! Tho poison is circulating in my blodd: I feel it—Oh, [ fee] it} A film comes over my eyes! Plaop— place me upon the aofa!” The dying aysh’s wish waa at once complied with :—again she teok tho hand of her mistress aud pressed it to her lips. From those lips the vermilion, babitually eo vivid, was dying away; and the brilliant lustre of her eyes was yielding to the glaso of death. “ Will you pray, Sagoonah P” asked the Queen : end kneeling down by the side of the sofa, she began reciting a prayer in her own native Jan- guage. * The twins stood by, looking on with feelings of in- describable awe—Christina clinging to her brother, and he edistaining her with his arm thrown round her waist. For some minutes Sugoonah continued ta repeat the prayer which the Queen was uttering» but the voice of the aygh gradually grew lower and feebler—until it sank, altogether. The guilty but penitent Sagoonah was no more! CHAPTER CXI. MADAME ANGELIQUE AGAIN. Iz was the evening of the next day; and Sir Fre- derjek Latham rode forth on horseback from his paletiel mansion ef Balham Hull, Completely happy now was the great City merchant in the confidence which subsiated between himsdtf and his wife, the beautiful Anastatia; and that confidence bad begun to engender love on both sides. Sir Frederiok felt that he could not lavigh tuo many proofs of his regard upon the wife whom he had so cruelly suspected: while she on her part was touched by the altered demeanour of her husband towards her. She comprehended that certain naturally generous feelings, which bad long ree mained latent in the soul of a man entirely ab- sorbed in worldly pursuits, had now been by acci-” dental circumetdénces awakened; and though she was unselfish, yet as @ woman she did her best to encourage them. Thus there was for thie couple every prospect of a more real domestic happinese then they had ever before known; and Sir ¥rede- rick Latham coyld not altogether regret the cir- cumstances which, though painful at the time, had given rise to this improved epoch in his wedded e. It was a beautiful evening in the month of Qotoe ber: all the charms of a late autumn were pros longed; and the trees retained an unusual vere dure for that season of the year. Sir Frederick and Anastatia bad dined earlier then usual, in order that her ladyship might pay a visit to her mather, who continued to be somewhat indisposed ; while the merchant himeelf, taking advantage of the loveliness of the evening, went forth for 9 ride an horseback. It happened that he was unattended A Of SOs gutrctanammnspanpamemamaren ee eee eee aan GOR GOOOKS (CO)