The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 376: what you’re looking at

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

354 REYNOLDS’ WORKS opinion which the Duke of Marchmont himself expressed, and which I now hold.”’ Sagoonah reflected profoundly for several minutes, during which so fixed was her gaze downward — so grave and un- ruffed was her countenance—that Madame Angelique could not form the slightest conjecture as to what things she was revolving in her mind. At length the ayah slowly raised her head, and again fixing her looks with an earnest but unfathomable expression upon the Frenchwoman, she said, ‘‘Then the Duke of Marchmont is afraid? ” “The conduct of the Lady Indora,” replied Madame Angelique, “‘ was of a character to engender vague and mysterious apprehensions — “‘ Of what? ” asked Sagoonah, quickly. “TI know not,’ responded Madame Angelique, really bewildered by the question. ‘“‘ Perhaps the duke imagines that a lady visiting his country-seat under such extraordinary circumstances, and conducting herself so singularly as she did, must have some hidden motive which is full of vague and ominous portent.” ‘And it is,” rejoined Sagoonah: then again fixing her luminous dark eyes with a strange significancy on Madame Angelique, she added, “ Rest assured that if the Duke of Marchmont do not most effectually ruin the Lady Indora, she will prove the ruin of him. Let this warning suffice, and now I charge you that you come hither to seek me no more.” “One word, Sagoonah, and only one word,” exclaimed Madame Angelique, terrified by the ayah’s solemnly given warning, for at the moment she could think of no ruin which might overtake the duke without involving herself at the same time, because she could not fancy that whatsoever mischief which Indora had it in her power to achieve was in any way apart from an invocation of the law’s vengeance on those who had endeavoured to beguile her to her destruction. Sagoonah was hastily turning away when she had given utterance to her words of warning, but at that entreaty of Madame Angelique’s she stopped short, saying, “ What would you yet with me? ”’ “You have told me,” responded the Frenchwoman, “ that ruin will overtake the duke if Indora herself be not ruined. In case of need, may I again rely upon your services? ”’ Gomicidooks