The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 316: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. As the ayah thus spoke, her eyes kept flashing continuous fires—her nostrils dilated—her boeom swelled—and she drew that bayadere form of her’s up with so queen-like an air, that her whole de- meanour @s and terrified Madame An- gelique. “There is some strange mystery in all this!” thought the infamous woman to herself: and she was bewildered how to act. At length sho ssid, “My dear Sagoonah, you treat me most sin- gularly—most unkindly! Are we not to aot to- gether ?” “In what way ?” demanded the all in a moment become calm and “Tf I still sought the ruin of my mistress, “there is no means of effecting it: for the chance to which I helped you has been flung away ia the most dastard manner.” “Can you not possibly ascertain the real mo- tive which induced the Lady Indora to visit Oak- lands? ‘That is all I now require,” continued Madame Angelique: “and I will Javish en upon you if you succour me in my aim.’ “Do you fanoy, then,” asked S her dark eyes penetratingly upon “ae vt gelique, “that the Lady Indora made use of you as an instrument to further her own views, instead of herself becoming your dupe and your victim P” “Yes,” exclaimed Madame ue: “that is the very opinion which the Duke of Marchmont himself expressed, and which I now hold.” Sagoonah reflected profoun for several minutes, during which s0 Seed was her gase downward—so grave and unruffied was her coun- tenance—that ffadame Angelique could not form the slightest conjecture as to what things she was revolving in her mind. At length the ayah slowly raised her head; and again fixing her looks with SSSSe See: Bx ford ited canis had an earnest but unfathomable expression upon the | le Frenchwoman, she said, “Then the Duke of Marchmont is afraid ?”’ “The conduct of the Lady Indora,” replied Madame Angelique, “was of a character to en- nder vague and mysterious apprehensions——” or Of what P” asked Sagoonah quickly. “I know not,” responded Madame Angelique, really bewildered by the question, “ Perhaps the Duke imagines that a lady visiting his country- seat under such extraordinary circumstances, and conducting herself so singularly as she did, must have some hidden motive which is full of vague and ominous portent.” “And it is!” rejoined Sagoonah: then again Gxing her luminous dark eyes with a strange sig- nificancy on Madame Angelique, she added, “ Rest assured that if the Duke of Marchmont do not most effectually ruin the Lady Indora, she will prove the ruin of him! Let this warning suffice : —and now I charge you that you come hither to seek me no more |” “One word, Sagoonah—and only one word!” exclaimed Madame Angelique, terrified by the ah’s solemnly given warning : for at the moment could think of no ruin which might overtake the Duke without involving herself at the same time; because she could not fancy that whatso- ever mischief which Indora had it in her power to achieve, was in any way apart from an invocation of the law’s vengeance on those who had en- deavoured to beguile her to her destruction. 807 Sagoonah was hastily turning away when she had given utterance to her words of warning: but at that entreaty of Madame Angeliquo sake stopped short,—saying, “ What would you yet with me P’ “You have told me,” responded the French- woman, “that ruin will overtake the Duke if Indora hereelf be not ruined. In case of neod, may I again rely upon your services f” Sagoonah reflected deeply for a few instants— and then eaid, “To-morrow, at this same hour, I will be here.” Having thus spoken, she passed hastily away; and her white raiment was Jost to Madame An- ane view amongst the dense fuliage of the BR ) OHAPTHR LVIIL oh, SkapRore. — Berwkxw nine and ten o'clock in the evening, we shall again find the Duke of Marchmont and Madame Angelique closeted together in the luxu- riously furnished sitting-room which the latter was wont to ocoupy. The infamous woman had explained to the Duke all which passed between herself and Sagoonah; and Marchmont was deeply agitated thereby. Madame Angelique had not as yet questioned him as to the particular cause of this trouble—for she thought that she more or less know it, and that it concerned herself as much as him; but she presently said, ‘“‘ How was it that your Grace sssured me last evening that we had nothing to apprehend i in the shape of exposure or w- wt vero know what I said,” he answered. You caw that I was excited and bewil- dered —— “But what can she do?” demanded Madame Angelique nervously. “If she were to lay an information before a magistrate,” returned the Duke, “you would at once be arrested: and though the privilege of the peerage would save me from the eame extent of ignominy that would overtake you, yet the ex- posure would be terrific for me likewise.” “And yot,” cried Madame Angelique, as a re- membrance smote her, “the ayah never told me that the Princess meditated my rain! And then, too, I cannot understand why Indora should have gone prying and peering into tho affairs at Oak- lands, as your Grace last night informed me she had done. After all, my lord,” added the woman, clinging to the hope which had thus sprung up within her, “I think thal it is your Grace who somehow or another has alone cause for appre- You think eo P” eaid the Duke: and a strange expression passed over his countenance. “ Listen, Madame Angelique,” he continued to observe, “ you do not know these eastern women—it is impos sible to fathom their designs. They are stealthy and treacherous as the serpents which belong to their native elime. Sagoonah’s warning 7 not not to be neglected! Rest assured that the Indora is terribly vindictive——” (COL (C DOO CS (COL