The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 369: what you’re looking at

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

365A the villa at Bayswater. be knew nothing of Lord Octavian Meredith's attachment to Christina, nor of the painful incidents connected therewith : she had therefore no reason to hesitate about bringing our heroine into the vicinage of that nobleman’e dweiling,—fur she knew that it was situated in the Kevent’s Park. On the other hand, when the proposal to visit the Gardens was made to Christina, sie had not dared hint tbat she would rather not proceed intu a neighbourhood where she stood a chance of falling m with Lord Octavian; becnuss to have raised any objection of the kind, would as a matter of cotrse have necessi- tated the revelation of those cireumstances which maiden modesty and virgin bashfuiness naturally prompted her to conceal. Thera were very fuw visitors at the Zoological Gardeng on the occasion when the Princess Iadvura and Christina, attended by Sagoonah, thus visited them. Her Highness wore an oriental garb—but the very plainest which belonged to her wardrube ; and she had carefully dispensed with much orna- mont, eo as to avoid as much as possible attract- ing notice. The ayah was clad in ber habitual white costume: Christina's toilet displayed an glogant nestnes. Three such beings could not possibly enter a public place without striking the notice of those who were also there, few though they were. All three being characterized by a re- markable beauty—that of Indora so megnificent, that of Sagoonah so darkly aplendid, and that of our hervine so exquisitely interesting in ite classic perfection—two of thom moreover wearing pecu- liar coatumes—it was impossible that they could escape apecial attention. Yet the persons who were there, pressed not rudely upon them—but moved as it wore at a respectful distance, until when it was whispered by one of the officials that the principal object of interest was an eastern lady of rank and fortune ; and then this announce- ment was taken as a hint that the little: party wished to be as free from observation as possible during their visit to the Gardons. At first Sagoonah kept tolerably close to her mistress and Christina: but gradually sho increased the interval between herscif and them. This she was casily ennbled to Jo without exciting any par- ticular attention on their part: for it appeared by no mbtans strange that sho should linger a little behind thom to cuntemplate some particular animal or bird belonging to a clime far remote and different from ler own, and which apecimens of naturai history she had consequently never seen before. We will nat dwell upon unneccssary do- taila: suffice it to observe that after having in- apectal the various objects which presented thew- selvos to their view in one portion of the Gardens, they passed through the tunnel and entered upon the other division. Facing them was a placard indicating a particular direchion—and with these words, "Fo the Reptiles.” * Segoonah understood them; and a thrill vi- brated throughout her entire frame. She felt for something that was concealed under her long white dross; and having assured bereelf that it was all safe there, she looked for a moment as if she had already achieved some grand triumph: then eud- denly ren iuto ber wonted demeanour, she followed the ‘Princess aad our heroine into the reptiiohouse. Thero, in casee of different sizes, % THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. and each having a frontage of thick plate glass, were all the moat terrible specimens of the serpent apecies. In one a huge python, sixteen or seventeen feet long, and as thick in the largest part of ite form as a man's thigh, was creeping lazily out of a tank of water: in another an immense boa- constrictor was coiled round the branch of a tree placed there for his comfurt and accommodation : more serpents of the samc species were to be seen in other cages,—some windin their slimy leagths over the gravel strown on the fluors—others coiled upon thick blankets, or protruding their heads from amidst the folds of horse-clotns, or licking the glass frontages of their dena with thew forked tungues. The venomous reptiles were to be scen in much emailer cases on the opposite side of the room. There was the rattlesnake, with a bost of httle ones cotling, writhing, and wriggling about their parent—a horrible and loathsome brood! There was the puff adder, with its hideous bloated head, the most transient glance at which was cal- culated to send a shudder through tho frame of the beholder who knew, that its bite was death. But not less venomous was the dark cobra, with its head reared up from amidst its coils, ita hood ex- panded, and its throat of a sholl-like appearance aud whiteness. It was upon this object that Sa- goonah’s cyes at once riveted themselves; and if any one had observed her at the time, 1b would have seemed as if those luminous black orbs of her’s reflected the reptile-fire which gleamed from the pupils of the hooded sonke. But there was no one in the room eacept herself, her mistress, and Christina; and quickly averting her eyes from the object of her vivid mtereat, she affectal to bestow ber attention on the more monstrous serpents. ‘To me, my dear Christina,” said the Princess, “the aspect of the greater purtion of thease species of reptiles is more or less familiar; aud if you bad hved a few years in my native country, you would have become sufficiently accustomed to the sume spectacles as to be able to luok upon them now without so strange a shudder as that which I perceive has just awopt through your form.” “[ pray your ladyslip to pardon me,” said our beroine,—“do not deem mo fuolishly weak, if I assure you that [ can remain hero po longer to look upun these reptiles.” “Come then, Christina—-we will seck some other and more agreeable objects of interest. Sagoonah,” added the Princess, addressing tho ayah in their own nativo tongue, “* you can follow at your leisure if you have any particular wish to vemain bere awhilo and contemplate these crea- tures, moat of which must however be sufficiently familiar to you.” “JT will follow almost :mmeciately, my lady,” responded Sagoonah. “Monsters of thie parti- cular species” —and she looked towards the p-thon -—*) have never seen before.” The Princess Indora hurried Christina from the snake-room : and as they passed forth, a glow of triumph and satisfaction again thriiled through Sagounah’s form. She watched them until they disappeared from her view by suddenly diverning from the straight peth leading from the anake- house along the back of the canai: then she hastened to the door—she issued forth a few paces —her eyes were rapidly swept around—no one was nigh—and she hurried back into the reptile-room a a NOG (C See eee es Oe ne EE 1 Cn a ee ae own ene SS