The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 146: what you’re looking at

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THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. dow reached,—Indora and Christina closely follow- ing him. it was a beautiful etarlit evening; and as Christian sped in the direction of the spot whence the cry had seemed to come, he beheld a human form lying upon the gravel.walk near the fountain. Ineffable was his amazement on recog- nising a costume which he had seen Indora wear ; and ejaculations of bewildered astonishment burst from the lips of her Majesty and Christina them- selves as they the next moment arrived upon the spot. Christian drew aside the veil from the prostrate figure; and the countenance of Sagoonah was revealed ! To raise her up was the work of a moment ; and now the appearance of oozing blood drew forth fresh cries of horror and alarm from the lips of those present. The faithfal steward Mark and the other domestics of the Queen’s household were quickly on the spot. Mark was at once despatched | for a surgeon; and Sagoonah was borne into the house. She was ineensible: but life was not ex- tinct. There was a deep wound in the region of the right bosom; and the blood was gushing out copiously. She was conveyed to a bed-chamber; and the garments were quickly stripped off by the female domestics,—Indora and Christina being likewise present: but Christian for delicacy’s sake had forborne to follow into that chamber until Sagoonah was placed in the couch. The surgeon arrived, and then Christian entered with him. The wound inflicted upon the syah was deep and serious: but it was not mortal. The medical man could not however, at this early stage of his ministrations, hold out the positive certainty that she would recover. Everything in the meantime was done that his skill suggested ; and then he had leisure to inquire how the murderous attempt had been made. But on this point no one seemed able to give bim any satisfactory answer: yet i¢ ap- peared only too probable that the assassin-blow was intended for the Queen herself, inasmuch as the hapless Sagoonah had been disguised in her rai- ment, But here was fresh food for speculation and conjecture; and something had been discovered which was not mentioned to the surgeon,—inas- much as it pleased {ndora to issue a request to Christian and Christina, and a command to her domestics, that silence on that head should be ob- served: for if Sagoonsh should recover, she might be enabled to give some satisfactory explanation— whereas if on the other hand she should perish, the Queen with her wonted generosity was anxious to spare her from the stigma which would affix u her name. The incident to which we allude was the fact that a quantity of gold and a nomber of Indora’s mést valuable jewels were found upon Sagoonah’s person, concealed beneath the garments in which she had disguised her. self. The surgeon took his departure, to prepare some medicines which were to be administered to the wounded woman; but he promised to return in the coarse of an hour or two. Now the Queen, Christian, and Christina,—the first sense of excited horror being over,—had leisure to discourse on the terrible incident that had occurred. “ It was your own life, dear lady,” said Ohristina, taking the Queen’s hand and pressing it to her lips, “which was aimed at! Providence has 135 shivided you—though it is fearful to contemplate that a blow has nevertheless been dealt at another. Oh, what a horrible mystery !” “T am utterly at a loss to conceive what could have been Sagoonah’s object,” said the Queen, “in apparelling herself in my costume and taking some of my richest gems with her. Could the wretched young woman have meditated robbery and flight?” It appears impossible,” observed Christian, “to put any other construction upon the circumstances, however much we may be disposed to suspend an opinion in the absence of a positive Knowledge or of more criminatory evidence——’ “TJ have always thought,” said Christins, that ah was a strange creature-—— “ But [ always deemed her faithful and most de- votedly attached to me!” said the Queen. “I would have staked my existence on Sagoonah’s fidelity : I should have deemed her utterly incapable of a dis- honest action !” “It is strange—most strange!” said Christina in a maosing tone: and her looks indicated that something peculiar was passing in her mind. “ What is in your thoughts, my dear gint 7” asked the Queen earnestly. Christina conceived that it would be j improper to conceal any longer those nocturnal proceedings of Sagoonah which some weeks back had come to her knowledge, and relative to which she had chidden and remonstrated with her. She accord- ingly explained how she had one night detected poring over a huge file of the Times, in contravention of the Queen’s injunction ; and how on another night she had followed Sagoonah into the chamber where her Majesty was sleeping. Indora listened with mingled alarm and astonish- ment; and then she became profoundly pensive for several minutes. In reply | to questions which her Majesty presently pat, Christina detailed the explanations which Sagoonah bad given on the two occasions respectively. *“ In reference to reading the Times,” said our young heroine, “ Sagoonah pleaded a desire to prosecute her English studies ;~and I believed her. In respect to her visit to your ladyship’s chamber, she advaneed a tissue of superstitious beliefe, the groemess of which I endeavoured to point out. She declared her love for you, and spoke of the dread which she had lest evil spirite should do your ladyship a mischief. Considering that her offences arose from ignorance and not from abeolute wilfalness, and that she coald not possibly entertain any sinister design, I promised to keep silent upon the subject. Perhaps, dear lady, I should have told you——~” “ No, Obristina,” observed the Queen: “ you were generous and kind-hearted—and it is impos- sible to blame you! There is somo dark mystery attached to the proceedings of Sagoonah: but 1% would be wrong to jadge her hastily in a hostile sense. Sometimes the good intentions of indivi- duals wear at the first glance a suspicions aspect, especially when they are executed in secrosy and when it is sought to shroud them in ob- seurity.” Bat having thus spoken, Queen Indora again relapsed into a profound pensiveness; and silence prevailed for many minutes in the apartment. “Do you not remember, lady,” asked Christina, at length breaking thie silence in a gentle voice, COUMIUC NOOK (CO