The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 283: what you’re looking at

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272 opportunity. She descended from the couch: she opened the door and ‘listened: there was no one on the staircase or the landing. She knew—or at least conceived to the best of her knowledge, that Christina was in the Queen’s boudoir: and it was towards Christina’s chamber that she sped. A dress, a shawl, a bonnet, and other needful articles of the toilet, were quickly taken possession of ; and Sagoonah glided back to her own room, having succeeded in escaping all observation. She thrust the articles of apparel into a cupboard, and lay down in the bed again. Scarcely had she thus resumed her place on the couch, when the door opened, and the nurse made her appearance. The woman suspected not what had been done in her absence ; and while she was administering food to ah—who received it with the vacant docility of an infant—Miss Ashton entered. Be- lieving that all went well, Christina soon retired, and returned to Indora’s boudoir, where she re- sumed her occupation with the jewels. Mean- while Sagoonah was nerving herself for the final effort to escape; and now came the most difficult and perilous part of her pre-arranged plan. The nurse was seated by the side of the couch, with her attention deeply absorbed in a volame of anovel, Her back was partially turned towards Sagoonah, so that she might all tho more con- veniently catch upon the page the light from the windows. All of a sudden the sheet was thrown over the nurse’s head—it was drawn tight across her mouth—and Sagoonah’s voice, speaking with unmistakable power and plainness, cried, “ Dare to shriek forth, and I will etrangle you?” The nurse, overwhelmed with terror, sank down in @ swoon ; and the ayab, springing from the bed, convinced herself that the woman was indeed plunged into a state of unconsciousness. She suffered her to lie where she had fallen ; and the sheet being taken off her, Sagoonah kept her eyes Fivetted upon the nurse’s countenance, so that she might be prepared for the first indication of her awakening. With all possible speed did Sagoonah apparel herself in the garments ehe had taken from Christina’s room; and the nurse gave no oun of life while the ayah was thus performing her toilet. It was with an exulting heart that Sagoonah found circumstances to be progressing thus favour- ably: but still there were risks to be incurred. At any moment Christina might enter the chamber; or she might encounter that young lady upon the stairs. Nevertheless, Sagoonah was prepared for everything, rather than renounee the plan which had thus far progressed so satisfactorily. The old nurse was just beginning to give signsof returning consciousness, when Sagoonah opened the door— listened for an instant—and then hurried forth. It was a garden-bonnet, with a blue gauze veil, which she had taken from Christine’s room; and she drew that veil over her countenance. Gliding down the stairs, she reached the hall just as a fomale-servant was entering it from the further ‘extremity. Sagoonah sped to the front door with @ degree of haste which somewhat astonished the domestic, who took her to be Miss Ashton. In a moment however the disguised Hindoo woman dis- Gppeared from the servant’s view; and the front dcwr closed behind her. Segoonah was now free. She hastened through the garden—she reached the gate—she sped slong the lane towards the main road. She looked beck: no one was in pursuit:—more elated grew her heart—her feelings were indeed now at the highest pitch of exultation ! Sagoonah hastened onward. She dared not enter a vehicle, for ehe had no money in her pocket; and she had lived long enough in England to have a full knowledge of the indispensable cha- racter of that article in ite application to nearly all the circumstances of life. But she hed not proceeded far before she encountered a police- officer; and to him she addressed herself. Meanwhile her flight was discovered at the villa. The female-servant who had seen her pass through the hall, and bad taken her for Miss Ashton, nata- rally conceived from the precipitation of her egress that something serious was occurring, and that the invalid aysh was perhaps much worse, so that Christina had hurried off to feteh the medical at- tendant. ‘The servant ascended the stairs, to see if she could render the nurse any assistance: but on entering the sick chamber, she was stricken with dismay on finding that Gagoonah was gone and that the nurse lay gasping upon the carpet. The servaut rang the bell instantly for assistance, while she began to administer restoratives to the nurse; and the first person who answered the pealing of that bell, was Christina herself. Ex. planations were speedily given; and a rapid search made in Christina’s own ehamber, cleared up the mystery. Some of her apparel had disappeared : the ayah had evidently fied ! The faithful Mark—the Queen's major-domo— sped in pursuit: but it was too late—Sagoonsh was nowhere to be found. Christina was at first almost frantic, blaming herself for not having exer- cised sufficient vigilance during the Queen’s ab- sence. She likewise began to reproach the nurse for what she naturally conceived to be her treacherous complicity in the flight; because Miss Ashton could not conjecture that Sagoonah herself had procured the apparel which served as the dis- guise for her departure. The nurse however pro- tested her innocence, and explained what had ocourred, so far as the sudden attack upon herself was concerned. The condition in which ehe was found by the female servant, corroborated her tale; and Christina, now convinced that the swoon was no simulated one, regretted the reproaches she had addressed to the poor woman, ‘The nurse ad- mitted having left Sagoonah alone for about ten minutes; and thus the manner in which the appa- rel might have been procured, seemed to be fully explained. That the ayah had been practising some stupendous hypocrisy was also apperent ; for that she could have so suddenly regained her senses deliberation and forethought, was not to be sup- posed. Mark, on his return from his ineffectual pursuit, was despatched by Ohristina with the in- telligence to Queen Indora at Isabella Vincent's mansion; and her Majesty returned in all haste to the villa. Thence she despatched a note to Mr. Redcliffe at his lodgings in Mortimer Street, Oaven- dish Square. Let us now return to Sagoonah, whom we left at the moment she was accosting the firet police- officer whom ehe encountered after her flight from the villa. se Da a SS SSS THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. ae *8. , : . ; e COMME OOO SS} (CO