The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 312: what you’re looking at

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

| | 306 «And what is the meaning of this?” cried the Duke: “you don’t intend me to understand that she is separated from her husband P” * Nothing of the sort, my lord,” returned Army- tage. “ Meredith was most anxious to accompany her: but she begged and implored that she might go alone. Her health has been failing for some little time past; and the physicians ordered her to visit a more genial clime. Meredith and I were compelled to let her have her own way: for if we had refused it would only have agitated her and rendered her worse. JI think that she is the least thing inclined to be fanciful—not exactly hypo- chondriacal—but she has got it into her head that a few months’ complete seclusion in the south of France or in Italy will put her completely to richts.” | “ Then, in that case,” observed the Duke, “it was much better to let her have her own way.” “This is what I represented to Meredith,” said Mr. Armytage: “but I had a great deal of trouble in persuading him to consent. He is dotingly fond of Zoe—she assures me that nothing can exceed his love for her—and she would be completely happy were it not for this nervous illness of her’s.” After a little more conversation, Mr. Armytage took his leave: and when he was gone, the Duke, on examining his banker’s book, experienced the most bitter vexation on finding that the cheque which he had promised to give on the morrow would considerably over-draw his account. The Dulke’s credit was however good; and consequently there was no difficulty in the way of his com- pliance with Mr. Armytage’s exorbitant demand. On the following day, at about eleven in the forenoon, Madame Angelique, apparelled in her plainest garb, proceeded to Bayswater, and waiked about in the neighbourhood of the Princess’s villa. She presently saw Mark, the faithful intendant or major-domo of the household, issue from the dwell- ing: she pretended to be walking towards the main road, with the air of a person who had a settled and legitimate object in view; and thus she watched him until he entered an omnibus. When the vehicle was out of sight, she retraced her steps towards the neighbourhood of the villa; andina few minutes she beheld Sagoonah in the garden. Approaching the fence, she gave a peculiar cough, which at once reached the ayah’s keen ear: and the latter proceeded towards a spot where, shrouded from the view of the windows of the dwelling, she could converse with Madame Angelique. “Your mistress has returned,” she said fo the ayah,—“ has she not ?” ““Yes—she came back the day before yesterday,” replied Sagoonah. ‘ What was done?” “Not that which we anticipated,” rejomed Ma- dame Angelique. ‘Your mistress possessed herself of a dagger, and so terrified the Duke that he fled away from her presence.” “Then your Duke,” answered Sagoonah, her Superb eyes flashing fire and her vermilion lips wreathing with ineffable scorn, “ was a poor paltry coward. Why do you seek me again?” she de- manded almost fiercely. “Has the Lady Indora said nothing to you in. order to account for her absence 2” inquired Ma- dame Angelique. “Nothing,” replied the ayah. “ It is not proba- ce et EC A A ELLE LO LL DALAL LLL LA ALLEL ALLELE THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. ble that a great lady such as she is, would enter into familiar discourse with her slave on a subject she would of course rather avoid.” * And is it impossible for you to draw her into conversation P” inquired Madame Angelique. “Impossible on that point, I feel convinced,” answered Sagoonah. “But can you think I shall attempt to serve you further when you throw away such golden opportunities?’—and there was so sinister a light shining in the depths of her lus- trous eyes, that the wily Frenchwoman was strangely struck thereby. *Sagoonah,” she said, as @ suspicion arose in her mind, “I think that it was not for the sake of the gold alone you undertook to serve my purpose?” * And wherefore do you think that?” asked the ayah coldly. , “ Because there is a visible feelings of annoyance on your part at the failure of the enterprise. You wished your mistress to succumb to the Duke of Marchmont ?”--and Madame Angelique fixed her eyes keenly upon the countenance of the ayah. “ Explaiti yourself more fully,” said Sagoonah, still with a cold and unrufiled demeanour. ‘Perhaps you have reason to dislike your mis- tress?” suggested Madame Angelique; “and you therefore aided in a scheme which was to effect her ruin. In a word, you were inspired by a hope of vengeance P” “ No—not vengeance!” murmured the ayah, now all in an instant becoming profoundly agi- tated. “My mistress has ever been kind to me: but there is something here’—and she laid her hand upon her heart—“ which seems to be an evil spirit prompting me to dreadful things!” “Tt is as I have said,” resumed Madame Ange- lique: “you have some bitter feeling in respect to your mistress—and therefore you aided in the hope of working her ruin ?” “Woman,” replied Sagoonah fiercely, “ the evil spirit has thrown you as a temptress in my way. Would that I had never seen you!—or else that your plans had been effectually carried out! For now I have all the remorse of an evil deed, without the satisfaction of knowing that it was accom- plished.” “ Do not reproach me,” said Madame Angelique, in that voice of eajolery which she knew so well how to assume ; “ buf let us converse reasonably together. Ah!’ she ejaculated, as another sus- picion struck her: “perhaps you wish to be intro- duced to one of those fine gentlemen of whom I have spoken to you—but you are afraid to fall unless your mistress has first set you the example?” “Dare you think,’ asked Sagoonah, her eyes again flashing fire, “that impure thoughts harbour in this bosom of mine?” and with a mechanical gesture she partially drew aside the snow-white drapery from her swelling bust. “No, no!—and if for a single instant I suffered you to imagine that I was merely yielding a preference to my mistress in respecé to your vile purposes, if was simply because I did not then choose to enter into the slightest explanation with you. But rest assured that if I were brought into the presence of any one of the fine gentlemen to whom you have al- luded—and if it were for an improper purpose— I would not be content with the mere brandishing of a dagger, as you say my mistress was—but L would plunge it deep down into the villain’s heart!” rr SS Ghoo Eom S m (Oo)