The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 192: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XIII THE VISIT TO THE REGENT’S PARK MEANWHILE Christina had been for a few weeks fulfilling the light and pleasing duties which she had to perform toward the Princess Indora. These consisted chiefly in reading to her Highness, in practising music with her, and assisting her researches into the historical records and the institutions of the British empire. The princess treated her precisely as Lady Octavian Meredith had done, namely, as a friend and as an equal, so that our youthful heroine experienced not the slightest sense of a dependent position. She took all her repasts with the princess, and rode out with her in the carriage. Now that the fine weather had returned, they walked in the garden of an evening; and the more Christina'saw of the King of Inderabad’s daughter, the greater was the esteem she experienced toward her. Christina had, on her first visit to the secluded villa resi- dence, been astonished at the mingled sumptuousness and elegance of that abode, which appeared to realize all her dreamlike notions of Oriental splendour, or of those miniature palaces whereof we read in fairy-tales. But far more was she amazed by the magnificent beauty of the princess and the dark splendour of Sagoonah’s charms. Indeed, every- thing connected with this retreat of the Oriental exotics was fraught with interest and novelty for the young maiden. Not the slightest idea had she of the motive which had brought the princess to England; nor had she the least sus- picion that Mr. Redcliffe had ever crossed that threshold. On the day that she first applied for the situation, Indora had confidentially informed her that her real rank was that of a princess, but that, in order as much as possible to avert public curiosity, she concealed her high position and passed 174 CORMICOOOK