The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 368: what you’re looking at

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

vet Bee —ot bee Bs 2, THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. ridiculous! You were only boasting because you believed that there were none of those venomous ereatures here: you would not grasp the puff- adder or the cubra di capello in that hand of your's A slight amile of seorn appeared upon the lips of the Hindoo woman; and she said, ‘“ This hand of mine has often and often clutched the deadhieat cobra; and its writhing form has coiled iteelf round my naked arm. To snatch the reptile deftly by the neck—to hold it in such a way that it could not bend its head so as to plunge its fangs into my flesh—to amuse myself with gazing upon its expanded hood, and in marking tho rage that vibrated in its small bright eyes—then with ea hghtning suddennesa to fling it back again into the basket of the serpent charmer—this was a freak, woman, which I bave often and often per- formed.” “And you would perform it again—or at least a portion of it P” said Madame Angelique, with a sort of dreadful shuddgring joy, as she once more looked up eagerly into the ayah’s countenance. “Aye—that would I,” answered Sagoonah. “ But it is useless thus to speak to one who i in- credulous—-— Ab! now that 1 bethink me, this very afternoon will the Ludy TIodora take Christina Ashton to visit some Crardena in thia metropolis of youra, where there are lions, and tigers, and other wild benats pent up in cages; and it 18 promised that I shall accompany those ladies. If you were there to ace, you would soon satisfy yoursoll whether the eye of the tiger can infuse terror into my heart. I who have seen the fierce animal louse and at large in our Indian jungles, crouching in readiness to apring upon the elephant which bore me in the castle on its back ” “And you are going to those Gardens this after- noon P” exclaimed Madame Angelique, almoat wild with delight; “the coincidence is tndced atrange, because I had an idea e “ What mean you?" asked Sagoonah. “TI mean,” v*esponded the iufamous French- woman, “tbat in those very Gardens to which you are going —if thither you indeed go " “T tell you that just now,” interrupted Sa- goonah impatiently, —~ “only a minute before I issued forth from the dwelling to join you Here, I overheard her ladysbip inform Chriatina of the little plan she meditated to afford her a variety of ecene, and thereby cheer her spirits somewhat after the incidents of the past night; and Mies Ashton, who gives a ready asvont to everything her bene- factress proposes, expressed ber thanks. ll this was said in my presence; and the Lady Indora added with a smile, that I should accompany them, for that inasmuch aa I bad seen the wildest ani- mala free amidst the jungles of my own native land, and full of menacing mischief,—I should now beboft them pent up bebind iron bars, and reduced to subjection, if not to tameness, by the dominant power of map.” “ Ab, then you will go to those Gardena!” ex- claimed Madame Angelique. “ But did not your mistress tell you that there you will likewise beboild specimens of the deadhest reptiles which belong to your own native Hindostan f” “No,” answered Sagoonah. “ Perhaps her lady- ship is 1gnorant thereof.” “ And yet it is eo,” rejoined Madame Angelique. EEE. — @ Fay @iireges Os os wpe te —- =2nma ah - - a werete See eee ee 8 ere er et, ee ee —O SO ine Sens | =e @ Wa fd wees — eS = --— S57 “A special honse ie devoted in those Gardens te the keeping of the reptiles; and there will you see them in glass cases. If you have the opportunity, Sagoonab, would you dash your hand throagh the frontage of one of those oases— seize upon the rep- tile within—and bear it away with you by some euitable means———say, for inatance, a thick leathern bag that you might have concealed about your person ?” “I would do it,” answered Sagoonah. “ Bat is it possible that such opportunity could present iteelf P” “T have often visited those Gardens,” replied Madame Angelique, “and have been alone for half-an-hour at a time in the reptile-houee.” “You Jove, then, to gase upon those venomous creatures P’’ said Sagoonah; and even under the coldness of her tone and look there was a certain antire perceptible, as if she moant to infply that there was a sympathy between the nature of the Frenchwoman and that of the anakes which she loved ta contemplato, ‘“'Yoa—I have frequently stood to gase upon those reptiles,” answered Madame Angelique, not choosing to notice that half-oovert irony which pervaded Sagoonah’s specch. “1 tell you that you will find the opportunity if you have the courage to avail youraclf of it, Those who may enter the reptile-house afterwards, will believe that the glass has been broken by accident, and that the reptile bas glide® forth of its own accord. There will be conaternalioun; — of that po matter. ox will know the seeret—but you need not proclaim it. The cubra—if it did really thus escape, as it will be supposed —must go somewhere: and why not find ita way to tho villa of your mistress? and if to the villa, why not to her own bed? Who, then, shall dare tax you with the deed? Not evan Christina Ashton would for an instant entertain the suspicion that the deed was your own.” Sagoonah gazed for a few moments in a sort of astonishment, not altogether unblended with ad- miration, upon the woman who despite the failure uf ber former artifices, had a devilish ingenuity sufficient for the concoction of such a scheme as this. Then tho ayah mueed for a few instants more; and st length she said, ‘“Yes—if the opportunity serve, I will do it. And now be gone |” 7° Madame Angelique aped away, her heart fiercely yot shudderingly elate with the borrible triumph which ehe had just achieved in respect to again bending Sagoonab to her purpose. it was about three o'clock in the afternoon, when the Princess Indora and Christina Ashton, attended by Sagoonah, alighted from the carriage at the en- trance of the Zoological Gardens in the Rogent's Park. We have already said that her ILighnoss, the King of Inderabad’s daughter, frequently — im deed, almost daily—rode out in ber equipage: but this was the firet time that she had visited any public institution or scene of recreation. She had however for some time longed to behold those animals which she had often seen wild in ber na- tive cuuniry, bere in complete subjection to the power of man; and she now availed herself of an opportanity when, for the kindest reasons, she sought to cheer Christina's spirits and treat ber to achange from that monotony of existence which she fearéd that her young friend experienced at -_= —_ = BP wide «tp ee. Boe es ee (C are my We, er oe i eerie a CESSES sant NOG SS