The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 86: what you’re looking at

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

Oe ————— a ae nt ses sarees icstiesiensintensingjspengpeuominnenianscinnepetaiigiieinnt THE MYSTERIES OF TITH COURT. =—w wait WE Ges FP - “nm Oe — wrening—as woe have already stated—that we in- troduce our readers to the occupant of that ele- gently furnished apartment within the walle ot Shrubbery Villa. The lady herself seemed to be profoundly pensive at one interval—then somewhat excited and anxious at another. Several times in the space of a quarter of an hour, did she consult an elegant watch, set round with diamonds, and which being retained by a massive gold chain, she took from within the bosom of her caftan. Hvery now and then*too, her eyes—usually of su melting and languid a lustre—would fiash with sudden fires, as if reflecting an inward impatience of the soul; and once when she had consulted her watch, she murmured in some oriental tongue, “Time passea, aml he comes not!” } But the Yoice in which she spoko these few words, sud so lowly to hersclt, was of wu rich flute. like harmony that would have given a charia to any language, even the harshest and the must dis- cordant. It was a voice which, once heard, never could be forgotten,—one of those fominine vuices which sink duwn into tho very soul liko the last notes of a strain of music, leaving rapture and ecatacy bohiud, yet balf-subdued and hept under by the hope of catching the delicious sound again. Presently this lady agitated a silver bell which Jay near her, and a Hindoo ayah, or female- dependant, entered the room. ‘his woman was about five-and-twenty—tall, slender, and beauti- fully formed, with the well-knit symmotry and the lithe clasticity af a bayadere. Her countenance, too—though many, many shades darker than the complexion of her inistress—was execedingiy band- some. Wer eyes were so full of fire that they literally appeared to burn,—so that it was pain as well ag pleasure to gaze upon those magnilicent orbs. Her lips were thin, of a vivid scarlet, and revenlipg teeth which though somewhat large, were of the same polished whiteness and adinirable evenness as those of the lady heraclf. Her feuturcs wero smail and regular: her lair was of jettiest blackness, without the sli¢htest gloss—without natural wave or curl—and falling in Jong straight masses upon her shoulders and her back. Yet there was nothing ungraceful, much less ugly, in the effect produced by that straight bair. She was dressed in the usug) white linen garb which properly belonged to her sex and position —or we might say, to her caste. Wut she had no covering upon her head beyond the natural ono of her coal- black hair. Like ber misiress, she wore no stay nor corset: nor needed she any. Upright ag a dart, every movement, as she walked, was charac- terised ‘by a willowy clasticity—with easo nnd lightness. Vier arms and the lower port of her legs ware bare: the former were circled with plain gold Grae : s—the latter with anklets of the sume e material gnd tashion. Her feet were thrust into plain ariental alippers; and so light was her tread that those feet acarvely secincd to sink into the rich thickness of the cyrpet. Entering the room with downcast eves, and with an air of euch profound respect as a slave might be expected to exhibit towards a quecn—yet with thet complete drawing-up of tho lousely at- fired untrammelled form, which was habitual—shbe advanced towards her mistress, who spoke a few words: and the ayah, with a graceful inclination wt the ead, glided out of the room. Jin a fow » \ Sa ek 76 an recerenlineniiapr sonnet Iniuuivs she retarned, earrving a yesete ailver salver, on which was an exquisitely gu} gines con- taining somewefreshing beverave, such ay bemonade or sherbet. Tibia she presented, with one knee bent down, to her mistress,—who drank the. ene tenta of the glaes at a draught: for she wee ah PP eee AB [ER dently parched with the effect of internal agitation. . Irom the game cause she fult heated; and r another word being epoken, the Hindoo worgiat proffered the lady a fan made of the richly enleated: : plumaye of oriental birds, and the handle of whtok was studded with gems | “Tt is near ten o'slook, Sagannah " said the lady, inquiringly : “or docs my watch ere ?’-—bys we should observe that her conversation with the avah wae in an eastern tongue, “It is near ton o’cluck, may it please your High- ness,” was the dependant’s reaponse. “Tush! no Wighness here!” anid the Princess —toy such indeod she waa: thon with a geasious amile sho added, “But ] jorgot that we were speaking in our own native language. Tell wg Sagoonsh—how like you thie atrange country ?” I have sven ao little of it,” was the rosponss givon by the ayah-—and thie time sho waa cautious not to addresa her mistrows iu a manner becoming her rank,-~-“ that it would perhaps bo wrung to pronounce an opinion. But T hke any country where i¢ suits you to dwall; and so long as I ye- main with you, it is immaterial where,” “Yet you must have already jormed an opinion,’” resumed the Princesa, “relative to this country of the great KMnglish people. Tell me frankly--apert froin any levling of devotion towards inysell,-—to What conclusion is 1t that you bave thua come P” Sugoonab reflected for a few moments, and with duwreast eyes: then suddenly raising those bril- liant orbs, alo said docinvely, “ Yes—TI like Kng- land now,” : At this moment a knock avd riag were heard at the front door: the Princess sturivd perceptibly, and made a basty sign to Sagoonah,--who again glided frum the apartment. The moment the door Gloaed belind her, the Princess experienced a still atronger access of trouble than sabe had previously displayed: something like a ahiver of anxiety end gus} nee passed over ber; but the next instant her magn ‘icent countenance brightened up with hope and jevuus expectation. The dour opeued - and Mr, Redcliffe was ushered intu that apartment, The Prncess made a movement as if she would’ have riscn from the ottoman where she waa ecated, and would have flown towards him: but sho re- prevsedl that evident inclination~-she remained where ehe wits—and with her head partially bent down, she surveyed the visitor with a look that was full of fonaness as well as mournful depre- cation, and which likewise seemed to implore pare dou aud mercy at bis hands. And he, on his aide, remained standing for nearly a minute close by the dour,—his tall form enveloped in his auple aloak, —that fourm which was so upright, so well knst, mij eo commanding. His dark eyes were Axed half soverely, half yveprvachfully upon the Prin cuss: but it was evident that there wae the in- fluence of constraint upon both, and that noither know how to begin addressing the other. * At length we meet again,” said the Prinogas, in a low tremntous voice. “Kou resvived my summons --aad yuu have curge.” ine Gs AT ne ean eay PG apiag (C NOG SS CO