The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 294: what you’re looking at

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

r EE NN LS Te TS Cet FO at site hse OSS TE TS ID Ts a err re gS ie enegnoene ey eeeneneaeneeee- sgn eer et ee THE MYSTENIES OF THE covnrt. haga Se eerey Dip ber = Wee = ww (Qpudee Demme: op pettemehictny FEE “eee Ca which that beauteous English maidon was so willingly suporimtending ! And when Christina bestowed well-deserved praises upon her pupil, the superb dark eyes of the latter Hyhted up te an xlmnost preternatural Justre, flashing with joy and triumph at the progress which she thus made. A fow hours later the night has come; and Christina is alone in her own chamber at the Princess’ villa. It was half-pnat ten o’olock ; aud the maiden Lad not long retired thither. She sute down nut the toilet-table, while combing out the masses of her raven hair: but gradually she fell into a profound revorie-—bher hands sank upon her knecs--the comb dropped without her pereeiv- ing 1¢—and her hat’ remained floating all dis- hevelled upon her shoulders and down ber back, luwer than ber waist. There were sevoral topics which thus engaged Christina's profound medita- tion. She thought of Z.s—the amiable, tho in- teresting, the kind-hearted lady, who she teared had been ufking tho most dreadfal sacrifice of her own fecliogs rather than suffer her husband to perceive that sho had fathomed whe secret of the lows which he eutertained for another. Then Christina thought of this love which Lord Oo- tasian cherished towards bLerself: she strove to crture up a feeling which might satisfy ber that she was annoyed and indignant at being the objoct of this love: but she could not thus far du violence tu the tender sentiment which existed with # cer- tain degree of reeiprocity in her own heart. Then se thought of her brother who a litte while pre- viously bad lost his situation sith the Juart of Lascelles, and had not ax vet obtained another; and (nen her reflectious turned, with minglal awe and horrer, upon the mysterious death of thut anfor- | ithe landing above, sho tunate nobleman, Chiistina’s reverie thus Jasted for a long time; anid when she gradually aroused herself from at, aud consulted ber watch—which was @ gift from the Princessaladora - she perceived that it was post cieven Welock, She was hastening to continue hep qapit-tolet; ard an another quarter of au But just ax she was abeut to extinguish her candie, slo Crouse bhe heard the sounds of footsteps dese nding the how wag realy to retire bo reat. bf. irs drow the fluor above that on whieh her own Chaucber was situated. could have caught them; and Conativa {uit con. vanced thas the tread was the stealthy one of a person Not wishing to be overheard. A vagae terror scized upon her: for she all ima moment incmbered that warning fetter which Mr. Ked- Lita bad sent to tho Peisncegsa, and which her Jitgiiness had shown her about three weeks back. That letteg as the readcr wid remember, was to ttre Giivet that some evi dispose] persons might yeouably seek to mveigle indora or the ayah Sagsguam info @ spare; aud as the puresminded rAristinad was too unsuplssticaled and lnexpe- rienced to bo enabled to fatiom the real sigm- fieancy of Mr. Redchile’s allusion, her wag mation mnatuially eacited this vague terror which now seized upon her. She drew citre towards the p door—anil listened with suspendeddreath. Again 58 caught the sounds of fwtsteps: they were now deseending the lower flight—and in a fow moments they ceasud. She endeavoure? to ealm Lhey were steps po hylit tik nury that onty the heonest conee of hearing op A ETRY SLY DO IS <P am ye en ee herself with tho id- that it mtght be Sagounnh, or one of the other fornalo-sorvants, cesoouding for aome purpose: bat if so, wherefore thet evir dently studied stenlthincas of trond P—as ib wae not 80 very late that the fear of awakening the househohl need bo entertained. Perhaps Christina was rendered somewhat nervous and apprehensive by having reflected on the mysten us murder of She Earl of Lasevtles; and this immprossion basing strong on her tind-- tugother with the recolles- tion, so vividly ounjured up, of Mr. Redchife's warning jetter—naturally filled her with vague misyivings and with a dread of some unknown danwor. She opened the dour gontly —aud ayain listened, Ali was now still, She thought of poling bu rest; bat scarcely bad she closed the door aZain, when that mysterious torror caine back with re. newed force; and she felt that she eould not pos sibly sleep, nor even lie trauquilly in her evach, unless she were rosssured m respect to the antety ef the promises. She remamed at the door to haten if the footsteps would return: but a quaricg of an hour passed—and alk voutinued quist. dhe though? of going to the Priucveas's eburuber and telling her what she had heard: but then she re- fleetod that if her apprekeusions should prove groundless, ahe would feel buritlatel and look foolish at hfving given wav to such terror. Dut she thought she might at all ovents sxcend tu the fernale-servants’ chumbera tu see Wf they werp there: for the conviction waa strong 10 her wrod that she had heard joetsteps cdescendins, and that they had not ascended again. Mavoloping ln ryelf Ine muslin wrapper, and taksug the emndla nt ler hand, sho proceeded up atuira with a tread us liht as if sho wore a spirit ghiding, Or reaching aaw thal oes .qupnalg Chumber-cour stoud open; and en wascrisig, aslie found that Sagoonakh hersulf wos net there, ‘Lier were therefore the syal’s foutsteus that she hed heard: but why was she thus long absent Li (houvht now atrack Christina that Sagoonal must be all; and she went down stairs~--slill with tho game no-cloas (read os bcfore, ta order nut to dae turb tes Vrincess. A bysht was insuing fiom the boudedr, © .¢ door of which stood opep. Curistina advanced - and Jovkines in, beheld Sagoonnh bend. Ing uvee one of the jiuge veluines of the Zines ne wroaper, which were kept mm that room. aug iindss woman bad hier back towards the duoys tho volume was spread open upon the table; and She was evidently so absuibed iu ite contents that she dak not cater the rusthug of Christina's di esa, The tirst thought odueh atvuck Gur artless young licroine, was that the ayah vaperienceil puch wu ardent longing tu render herself proticient in (he Enuvish tongue, thal she was even inelined to sacritice a portion of her might’s reat to the prose. cution of wer studie@: bat all of a sudden she wis startled by the vebement waar In which Sagoonsh gave utterance to sonecbhiuy in her own native topgue, and which was therefore incomprehensible to tho mutden. At the same tithe Sagoonah stuod up from ber provivusly loaning posture; aod glancing around, so atrave & hight flasbed from her eyes on behglde ing Clivistina, that the latior was absulutely tere rified. Lhere wage an expression of rage too on the ayebs countenance, where the rich red blood AEA APR BI SO De srs AAPG ale «2 SRY ED er TE NOG CO SS CO