The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 98: what you’re looking at

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SS Se a ts a a esac THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. ; 87 nating between a paradise of bliss and Satan's kingdom. No, Sagoonsh—seck not to learn what love is!—avoid it if you have the power! Hap- pier—far happier are you than your unfortunate mistress |” “Is hope, then, st this instant dead within the bosom of your Highness?” inguired the Hindoo , “Oh, how can I explain the exact nature of my own feelings?” cried Indora, almost petulantly. When the ocean is agitated into mighty waves, ment to the summit of a billow, and is the next plunged down into the abyss. Ro it is with my heart—now at one instant elevated hy hope, at another plunged into despair. For the vessel, when thus etorm-tossed, beholds from the summit of the billows the beacon-light shining afar off and marking the entrance of the harbour : but when borne down into the deep, trough of the sea, the mariner on board his vessel beholds naught save the dark gloomy menacing waters around him. And so, again, is it with my heart. Now, Sagoonah, you comprehend all the mingled plea- sures and pains—the ecstatic and the inter- vals of blank deapair—the uling joy and the Seep despandency— the fervid id expectations and the ering ions, which make up the sum of love. Seek not to know it, my faithful Sa- goonah |—seek not to know it! It is your fond mistress who counsels you thus.” Having thus spoken, Injdora made « hasty and somewhat impatient sign; and Sagoonah glided forth from the sumptuously furnished apartment. Scarcely had the Hindoo woman reached the foot of the staircase, when a knock and ring called her to the front door; and on opening it, Mr. Redcliffe stepped across the threshold. He was, as usual, enveloped in his ample cloak ; and his hat was drawn over his countenance—not as if, while coming hither, he had more than at any other time studied to avoid observation ; bat such to be his invariable habit when moving about the streets of the mighty metropolis. As he placed his hat upon the hall-table, and pat off his cloak, he flung a look upon Sagoonsh : for the im- pression of her haunting eyes was still strong upon his mind—and he doubtless now regarded her to see whether she again looked at him in that same strange fashion which had sent a vague and un- known trouble into the depths of his soul. But it was notso. The Hindoo woman, having closed the front door, stood in readiness to conduct Mr. Redcliffe into the presence of her mistress: her demeanour was that of an oriental slave—her looka cast down, and the brilliant lustre of her veiled by the thick jetty fringes which formed such dark lines, so that the very duskiness of her com- before the Indian Princess. CHAPTER XVIL THR DECISION. Iv would be impossible to describe the feelings with which Indora became aware that this man who was the arbiter of her destmy, was now once more in her presence. She rose to a sitting ture on the velvet-covered sofa: but she dared not throw a single glance towards him.” Hope and ir were strangely agitating in her heart— blending too, although in confliction,—paradoxical as the expression may seem. it was natural that she should seek to prolong this hope as much as possible—and that, on the other hand, she should not rush forward as it were to find herself Face to face with despair, until imperiously compelled to envisage it. The colour went and came in rapid transitions upon her cheeks,—blushin g and disep- pearing through the transparency of her delicately dusky skin: while her bosom rose and sank with quick heavings. “ My promise is kept,” said Clement Redcliffe, ing in his wonted accents of mournfulness, but in all the harmony of his rich manly voice ; “and your will now probably explain wherefore you this interval of eight days’ delay ?” Indore motioned Redcliffe to take a seat by her side; and now her eyes were turned slowly upon him. Hope and fear trembled in that glance: love and apprehension vibrated in that look. She dreaded what his decision might be—and yet she sought to put away from her own mind the con- templation of the very worst. The Englishman placed himself on the ottoman at « distance which was properly respectful towards a lady of her princely rank—but which was little calculated to encourage the hope that her loving heart sustained in conflict with the strength of despair. “Yes, I will explain myself,” said Indora, with a sudden sensation of delight that abe was thus furnished by his very words with an opportunity of again appealing to the tenderest feelings of his nature. “I besought this brief delay in the con- viction that during the interval, you would not fail to ponder well and profoundly upon the decision towards the proclamation of which each day brought yon nearer and nearer. I thought to myself that every proof of my devoted love—every evidence of my imperishable affection, : would present itself to your memory, and that the whole, accumulating with force and power, would tule your mind in my favour. I thought to myself that you would recollect how the mightiest Princes of my own native clime sought my hand in mar- riage, but that I rejected every proposal for you aake. I thought too, that you would bear in mind how by those refusals I drew down upon myself my father’s r——” . “Your Highness had little to fear from the King’s indignation,” interrupted Redoliffe: “for your influence over him was complete.” “The allusion is ungenerous,” obsérved Indora softly, and half reproachfully. “It is meant to remind me that I stood as a barrier in the way of your freedom, and that I over-ruled my father’s favourable inclinations, when towards the end of your captivity he was about to yield to your often- repeated prayer to be lib from it. Yea: it was & crime—a dark branding crime which I thus affixed upon myself—-—But, Oh! I felt that it was death to part from you; and I had not the courage —deeply, devotedly as I loved you—to lay such suicidal hands upon myself |” “Oh! if you had given me my [berty,” ex. COMMUC DOO CS (COL