The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 316: what you’re looking at

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

9 e 10 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. thing —I was perplexed and bewildered at the time —frightened too a “ And yet,” rejoined Marchmont, still eyeing the Frenchwoman significantly, “you did think of making some use of Sagoonah ?” “Tsee that your lordship has an idea in your head,’ said Madame Angelique hastily. “Tell me—what isit? I would do anything—yes, any- thing, anything, to rid ourselves of that enemy !” “ Anything did you say ?” asked the Duke: and he drew his chair more closely to that which the woman occupied. “Good heavens, how strange your Grace is looking at me!” she cried: and then in a faltering voice she added, “ What—what do you mean, my lord? what would you have done? what—what would you do?” “ Indora,” answered Marchmont, hovering as it were round the point to which he longed to come, but on which he dared not too abruptly seek to settle the Frenchwoman’s mind,—“Indora is an obstacle oy an eyesore, for some reason or another, in Sagoonah’s path P” “Yes, my lord. Well?’ —and Madame An- gelique held her breath half hushed. “Well,” continued the Duke—and he drew his chair closer still towards the milliner, who sate just opposite to him, “if Sagoonah were to remove that obstacle or eyesore, it were all the better for us P” “Yes, my lord—if Sagoonah would !” said Mae dame Angelique in a low deep voice. “ But 4 “But what?” asked the Duke: then after a pause, during which he gazed significantly upon the milliner, he added, “ Sagoonah is to meet you to-morrow—and the slightest hint, if backed by gold % “Yes—a hint, my lord!” whispered Madame Angelique, at the same time that she glanced furtively to the right and left as if to assure her- self that there was no listener. “And it is for you to give this hint,” replied Marchmont, slowly and deliberately accentuating his words. Then those twothat unscrupulous aristocrat _and that infamous woman,—exchanged prolonged looks of intelligence: their meaning was now be- yond disguise—and if it were not, these looks would have transfused it. There was a pause of several minutes; and at length Marchmont, laying his hand upon the milliner’s arm, said, “Is it to be done ?” “'Yes—it is to be done,” she responded: anda long-drawn breath followed that answer. Marchmont rose from his seat—filled two glasses with wine—handed one to Madame Angelique— and tossed the contents of the other down his throat. It was as if these two unprincipled crea- tures were ratifying in blood-red wine the com- pact of blood which was settled between them! There was a little more conversation—and then the Duke of Marchmont took his departure. | en rer ee CHAPTER LIX. SAGOONAH. On the following day, punctual to the hour of appointment, Madame Angelique was at the spot where she was to meet Sagoonah. She was not kept many moments waiting before the ayah made her appearance; and the -latter at once said, ‘““'Whatsoever you may have to tell me, be brief— for Mark is about the premises.” ““Sagoonah,”’ replied Madame Angelique, at once coming to the point—for the interview of the previous day had given her a deeper insight into the Hindoo woman’s character than she had ever obtained before,—“ Sagoonah, have youa particular feeling to appease or gratify, and yet dare not follow its bent ?” “What would you have me dof” asked the ayah, her dark lustrous eyes fixed searchingly upon the milliner’s countenance. “T know not what feeling inspires you towards your mistress,” was Madame Angelique’s quick rejoinder: “but this I do know—that if I enter- tained hate or jealousy in respect to another, I would not scruple to obey the impulse !” “Y told you that you were a temptress in my path,” replied Sagoonah: “and it is so!”—but she lingered at the fence, and her eyes wandered slowly over the Frenchwoman’s countenance, while the white drapery rose and sank with the heavings of her bosom. “Tt have been told,” continued the milliner, “that the Hindoo women are armed with a terrible fortitude—that they are courageous under all cir- cumstances—that they are strong and firm, re- solute and decided, in avenging the wrongs they have sustained, in appeasing the hatred excited within them, and in removing the objects of their jealousy from their path. Again I say that T know not which of all these feelings animates you: but very certain am I that you have all that, courage—all that resolution—all that strength of purpose r “What words are these,” said Sagoondh, in a deep voice, “ which you are breathing in my ear? and wherefore do they thus sink down into those recesses of my heart where the evil spirit lurks ?” She pressed both her hands upon her left bosom as if to subdue the heavings which sprang from the agitation of the heart beneath: she moaned in spirit—she seemed to shudder with the thought that was thrilling through her brain. “There is a way,” continued Madame Angelique, protruding her head over the fence in such a manner that she could speak in a whisper almost close to Sagoonah’s ear,—* there is a way by which vengeance, jealousy, or hatred may be gratified, and yet no risk run. What, for instance, if a dagger were planted in the heart of an enemy, and the right hand of that enemy were 60 placed as to seem asif it had just fallen from the hilt after dealing the blow? Orit night be the same with a knife “a \ Indescribable was the fiend-like look which Sagoonah slowly bent upon the ¢xecrable woman who was thus tempting her,—a look in which | ahoiods satisfaction, fierce resolution, burning ———- r- or +e A ee NOOLKS (Cc) (C(O)