The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 297: what you’re looking at

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

288 “ Yes—and they specially mention mentioned the 1 name of the Stanleys,” responded Madame Angelique. “ Ah, I recollect !—I saw something hinted about another person being behind the scenes: but I can’t fancy who it could be.” “T don’t know why,” said Marchmont, “ but it has oocurred to me that the same individual who extorted the confession from Lettice of all that business down at Oaklands in the winter—whose voice she thought familiar, if you recollect, but whose face she could not catch a glimpse of—may have been her seoret friend throughout this last affair ?” “But now that it is all over,” cried Madame Angelique, “ it is scaroely worth ‘while to bewilder onessif with conjecture. Fortunately my name did not transpire at the trial-——~"" “* No—it was fortanate,”’ observed the Duke. * By the bye, have you ever heard anything about Eveleen O’Brien ?” “Ah! there’s another ungratefal wretch,” ex- claimed Madame Angelique, again getting excited over her wrongs. “She too has turned penitent! and I’m sure that if penitence becomes an epidemic, like the cholera or anything of that sort, I shall have to shut up shop. No—not while I have such patrons as your Grace!” cried the in- famous woman, thinking it necessary to pay the Duke this com Marchmont rose to take hie departure,—pre- vious to doing which, however, he placed a roll of bank-notes in Madame Angelique’s hand, as an earnest of his liberality in respect to her precious machinations with regard to the Princess Indora. Early on tho following morning the Duke sent off a message to Oaklands with a letter containing suitable instructions to Purvis, the steward, with regard to the reception that was to be given to the oriental lady; and so little care had he for the feelings of the Duchess, that he did not even think i¢ worth while to add a hint to the effect that the circumstance of this visit to be paid to Oaklands by the lady in question was to be for ever with- held from her Grace’s knowledge. At the same time that the messenger set off for Oaklands, the infamous Madame Angelique forwarded a letter to the post, addressed to the Lady Indora, acquainting her that their Graces the Duke and Duchess of Marchmont had the pleasure ot placing their country-seat in Hampshire at her ladyship’s dis- posal for so long a timo as it might be agreeable to her to sojourn on that domain. Madame Angelique was careful to assure Indora in this letter that the Duke and Duchess were ocoupying their town-mansion, and had no thought of going into the country for the present,—that therefore the Lady Indora would be perfect mistress of Oaklands—and she (Madame Angelique) wished her ladyship all possible health to enjoy her rambles about the beautiful scenery of the domain. We ought perhaps to observe that Sagoonah had remained altogether in ignorance of that warning letter which Mr. Redcliffe had sent to the Princess: for Indora had not chosen to her ayah by making her aware that she was the ob- ject of any evil design. She had therefore con- tented herself at the time with issuing precau- tionary instructions of a character,—the faithful Mark, the major-domo, being the only Try MYSTERIES | OF THE COURT. one of the servants to whom she confided the nature of that letter. Thus it happened that the name of Mr. Redcliffe was never mentioned by Sagoonsh to Madame Angelique. The Princess Indora duly received Madame An- gelique’s note; and without communicating ite contents to a soul, commenced her preparations for departure. She informed Christina that par- ticular business would take her away for a few days,—during which interval she hoped the young maiden would not feel dull nor lonely; and she gave her permission to invite her brother Chris- tian to pass those few days with her at tho ville if she thought fit. Her Highness SERIES © yout chaise to be in attendance for the name | and as she perceived that the faithfal Mark —the comptroller of her little housshold—wore a some- sence,--availing herself of an opportunity when she was alone. “TI am well aware, Mark,” she said, “ that you entertain s deep interest in my behalf; and you are probably afraid that I am about to fall into some snare which is being set forme. But you need have no such apprehension. The business which takes me hence for a few days, is connected with a matter vitally concerning my own interests. T soo my way clearly: but I have thought it ne- cessary to tell you this much, in order to relieve your mind from any misgiving.” “I am truly rejoiced to hear your ladyship thus confidently,” answered the steward ; ‘“‘and my mind is indeed more at case.” = * He then bowed and withdrew,—the Princess not volunteering another syllable of explanation; and Mark hed no undue curiosity: it was suffi- cient for him that Indora seemed to know per- fectly well what she was about. rolled herself, with Christina’s assistance, in one of the European costumes which Madame An- gelique had sent home. This was the first time that the King of Inderabad’s daughter found her- self thus dressed; and it would have been difficult for even the most scrupulous critic in respect to female loveliness, to decide whether she looked handsomer in the picturesque garb which she was wont to wear, or in this apparel made after the most recent Parisian fashion. The superb figure of Indora, with all its richness of contour and the admirable modelling of ite limba, gave its own shape as it were to whatsoover costume she chose to adopt; and hers was a beauty so far tran- scending all the advantages which feminine charms are wont to derive from the toilet, that it indeed mattered but little what fashion or atyle she fol- lowed. The corsage of an English dress could not set off the grandeur of the bust more completely CO IMULUG CYL DOO CS (COL