The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 137: what you’re looking at

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

126 was saying, therefore, that you must renounce your vow to become the husband of Indora. A diadem awaits her :—surely, surely she can leave to her humble slave the happiness of the heart's love? And, Oh! think not, Mr. Redcliffe, that if you really loved Indora, I would insist upon such @ sacrifice as this! No: I should have mercy upon you—because, alas! I know what it is to love. It is really no sacrifice that I am demanding on your part. You seek not for worldly honours nor earthly titles: you care not for that Sovereign dignity with which the sharer of Queen Indora’s throne would become invested. Ah! you see that I comprehend your disposition well. Then, after all, what is it that I ask? That you will not marry where you do not love—but that you consent to receive a slave and a mistress where you are beloved !” “ And all this, Sagoonah, is an impossibility,” said Mr. Redcliffe. “I have endeavoured to reason with you—and you will not be reasonable. You now compel me to speak out the full truth sternly and you may think implacably. Nevertheless, it must be done, Return you to your mistress: for here our interview ends. [ shall call at the villa to-morrow; and by your demeanour shall [ be decided whether I retain the seal of silence on my lips—or whether I must perform a duty by explaining to Queen Indora everything that has taken place. Do not regard me as an enemy, Sagoonah : [ would rather be your friend! I have made ali possible allowances for you——” “ No, sir—you have not /’ interrupted Saroonah vehemently. “The poor Hindoo woman has her feelings as well as the haughtiest l@ly of your civilized British land. Mine are wounded. Think you that if have no virtue? think you that I value not my chastity and my honour? The former is immaculate—the latter untarnished. Yet do I offer to sacrifice my virtue for your sake. Judge thereby the strength of my love! And is sucha wave as this to be subdued by a cold mandate to ge reasonable? is it something to be crushed like Chis ?”’—-and setting her foot upon a wiid flower, she trampled it down, half disdainfully, half vehe- mently. “Sagoonab, I must leave you,” said Mr. Rei- cliffe: and he was turning away. “ No—our interview ends not thus!” interrupted Sagoonah: and bounding forward, she caught him by the arm. “You know not what it is to trifle with the feelings of a woman—thus to scorn her love—to refuse the slightest sacrifice on your part! Sach a love as mine is capable of turning into the deadlicet hate. I need not remind you that I be- long not to the same cold clime as you ” “ Sagoonah, all this is ridiculous!” interrupted Mr. Redcliffe. “If you were an Englishwoman, I should conceive that your brain was @urned by witnessing the outrageous details of some highly- wrought melo-drama—or that you had stocked your brain with phrases from some preposterous ro- mance. I now insist that this may end; and re- member that it is yourself who are the cause that I am speaking thus harshly !” Sagoonah drew back ; and for a few instants she contemplated Mr. Redcliffé in so singular a manner that he was utterly at a loss to fathom what was passing in her mind. It seemed asif the intense fer- vour of love were about to turn into hate—as if the fire which burnt in her eyes, expressed a passion 1s MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. of one kind that might in a moment flame up into another. But then, blended with all that, there was an @xpression of mingled compassion and anguish upon her countenance; and she lvoked, too, as if she still so far clang to hope that she would not yield to the desperation which might make her take some step impossible tobe recalled. In a word, the ayah’s countenance at that moment was a tablet of the wildest contradictions: the traces of her feelings were there—but they were hieroglyphics impossible to be deciphered. “ Mr. Redcliffe,” said Sagoonah, all the fire of her eyes suddenly yielding to a deep and mournfal pathos, “you will not doom me to utter misery! Oh, do not—do not! Is there naught that I can do for you? Set me the most impossible of tasks —and Y will even achieve the impossible! Put my love to the test—you shall find that it will pass through the ordeal! Will you not have mercy upon meP Look upon me as a woman étanding upon the brink of a precipice, and whom one touch of your hand may hurl over into the abyss, or bring back to a position of safety. Oh, my brain is turning! I feel as if I were going mad! Have mercy upon me!” Sagoonah sank at Mr. Redcliffe’s feet: she pressed hor hands to her brow—she gave vent to convulsive sobs. She appeared as if distracted. “T pity you, my poor Sagoonah,” he saii, bend- ing down to raise her: “but beyond that feeling of compassion 7 “Oh! such a love as mine,” intérrupted the ayah, strongly emphasizing her words, “is not to be satisfied with mere compassion! Mr, Redcliffe, give me your love—or at least accept mine! But refuse me, and beware lest your scorn suddenly arms me with the venom of a serpent !” “Sagoonah,” answered Mr. Redcliffe, “I can now keep no terms with you: for I see that there is evil in your disposition. A woman who can speak as you have just spoken, must be pre- pared for any extreme, however desperate. It ee is my duty to report everything to your mis- — tress " Again Sagoonah flung herself upon her knees, exclaiming, “No—no! spare me! be merciful unto me! I spoke at random! Oh! not for a moment—no, not for a moment would I dream of executing whatsoever menace in my despair was thrown out !¥ “Weil, then, I consent to pardon you,” said Mr. Redcliffe. “Yes, I will pardun you. But it is only on this condition—that never henceforth, by word nor even by look——” “TI understand you, sir,” interrupted Sagoonah : “and I thank you for this mercy which you are vouchsafing unto me:”—then as she slowly rose up from her suppliant posture, with an expression of countenance which was singularly calm and placid after all the excitement she had just displayed, she said, “Farewell, Mr. Redcliffe. Pray forget, as you have promised to forgive, whatsoever has now taken place.” “TI will, Sagoonah—I will both forgive and for- get,” responded Mr. Redcliffe; “and let me sin- cerely bope that your reflections in your calmer moments will lead you henceforth to be complotely reasonable.” “They will, sir—rest assured that they will,” rejoined Sagoonah, with an air of the deepest (C CS co