The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 310: what you’re looking at

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

290 REYNOLDS’ WORKS perience at your hands; I have every reason to be happy beneath your roof —” ‘‘ Perhaps you miss the society in which you were wont to mingle when at Lady Octavian Meredith’s? Here it must be dull for you —” “Oh, no, far from it,” exclaimed Christina, hoping to divert the conversation into some other channel. ‘I love the life which I am leading here —”’ “T know that you always speak with sincerity,” observed the princess, “‘ and therefore my mind is at ease on that point. Indeed,” she added, with a smile, “ your time is well occupied, for you make occupation for yourself. It is exceed- ingly kind of you to take so much pains in teaching Sagoonah to read English accurately, but are you sure that she does, not take advantage of your kindness? ” “Oh, no, my lady,’’ exclaimed the amiable Christina. ‘*¢ Sagoonah is so willing a pupil that I experience the utmost delight in instructing her. I had not been many days in your ladyship’s house, before I saw that Sagoonah was most anxious to make herself thoroughly acquainted with the English language. She had already a very tolerable idea of my native tongue, but she wished to be able to read it, and your ladyship would be surprised, if you now heard her at the progress she has made.’’ ‘“‘T have no doubt of it,” observed Indora, “ for she § is & young woman of remarkable intelligence.” At this moment the object of the conversation entered the room to make some announcement to her mistress, and those three females constituted a group which the eye of even an anchorite could not have surveyed with indifference. The Princess Indora, in her superbly picturesque garb, and with her magnificent charms, half-reclining upon the velvet cushions of the sofa, the ayah, with her darker style of loveli- ness, standing before her in that attitude of respectful attention which she was wont to adopt, and the youthful Christina, invested with that exquisite virginal beauty which rendered her a being so well calculated to excite the tenderest interest, — these three, we repeat, being thus grouped, would have formed an admirable subject for the pencil of the artist. An hour after that conversation between the princess and Christina, we shall find the latter seated in another room, comicooolk