The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 81: what you’re looking at

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

‘ THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. evening—as we have already stated—that we in- troduce our readers to the occupant of that ele- gantly furnished apartment within the walls ot Shrubbery Villa. The lady herself seemed to be profoundly pensive at one interval—then somewhat excited and anxious at another. Several times in the space of a quarter of an hour, did she consult an elegant watch, set round with diamonds, and which being retained by a massive gold chain, she took from within the bosom of her caftan. Every now and then too, her eyes—usually of so melting and languid a lustre—would flash with sudden fires, as if reflecting an inward impatience of the soul; and once when she had consulted her watch, she murmured in some oriental tongue, “Time passes, and he comes not !” 7 But the voice in which she spoke these few words, and so lowly to herself, was of a rich flute- like harmony that would have given a charm to any language, even the harshest and the most dis- cordant. It was a voice which, once heard, never could be forgotten,—one of those feminine voices whieh sink down into the very soul like the last notes of a strain of musie, leaving rapture and ecstacy behind, yet half-subdued and, kept under by the hope of catching the delicious sound again. Presently this lady agitated a silver bell which lay near her, and a Hindoo ayah, or female- dependant, entered the room. This woman was about five-and-twenty—tall, slender, and beauti- fuily formed, with the well-knit symmetry and the lithe elasticity of a bayadere. Her countenance, ‘too—though many, many shades darker than the complexion of her mistress—was exceedingly hand- some. Her eyes were so full of fire that they literally appeared to burn,—so that it was pain as well as pleasure to gaze upon those magnificent orbs. Her lips were thin, of a vivid scarlet, and revealing teeth which though somewhat large, were of the same polished whiteness and admirable evenness as those of the lady herself. Her features were small and regular: her hair was of jettiest blackness, without the slightest gloss—without natural wave or curl—and falling in long straight masses upon her shoulders and her back. Yet there was nothing ungraceful, much less ugly, in the effect produced by that straight hair. She was dressed in the usual white linen garb which properly belonged to her sex and position—or we might say, to her caste. But she had no covering upon her head beyond the natural one ot her coal- black hair. Like her mistress, she wore no stay nor corset: nor needed she any. Upright as a dart, every movement, as she walked, was charac- terised by a willowy elasticity—with ease and lightness. Her arms and the lower part of her legs were bare: the former were circled with plain gold bracelets—the latter with anklets of the same material and iashion. Her feet were thrust into plain oriental slippers; and so light was her tread that those feet scarcely seemed to sink into the rich thickness of the carpet. Entering the room with downcast eyes, and with an air of such profound respect as a slave might be expected to exhibit towards a queen—yet with that complete drawing-up of the loosely at- tired untrammelled form, which was habitual—she advanced towards her mistress, who spoke a few words; and the ayah, with a graceful inclination of the head, glided out of the room. Ina few minutes she returned, carrying a massive silver salver, on which was an exquisitely cut glass cons taining some refreshing beverage, such as lemonade or sherbet. This she presented, with one knee bent down, to her mistress,—who drank the con- tents of the glass at a draught: for she was evi- dently parched with the effect of internal agitation. From the same cause she felt heated; and on another word being spoken, the Hindoo woman proffered the lady a fan made of the richly coloured plumage of oriental birds, and the handle of which was studded with gems. “Tt is near ten o’clock, Saroonah ?” said the lady, inquiringly : “or does my watch err P’—but we should observe that her conversation with the ayah was in an eastern tongue. “Tt is near ten o’clock, may it please your High- ness,” was the dependant’s response. * Hush! no Highness here!” said the Princess —for such indeed she was: then with a gracious smile she added, “But I forgot that we were speaking in our own native language. Tell me, Sagoonah—how like you this strange country ?” ‘I have seen so little of it,” was the response given by the ayah—and this time she was cautious not to address her mistress in a manner becoming her rank,—“ that it would perhaps be wrong to pronounce an opinion. But I like any country where it suits you to dwell; and su long as I ree main with you, it is immaterial where.” “Yet you must have already formed an opinion,” resumed the Princess, “relative to this country of the great English people. Tell me frankly—apart from any feeling of devotion towards myself,—to what conclusion is it that you have thus come ?” Sagoonah reflected for a few moments, and with downcast eyes: then suddenly raising those bril- liant orbs, she said decisively, “ Yes—I like Eng- land now.” : At this moment a knock and ring were heard at the front door: the Princess started perceptibly, and made a hasty sign to Sagoonah,—who again glided from the apartment. The moment the door closed behind her, the Princess experienced a. still stronger access of trouble than she had previously displayed: something like a shiver of anxiety and suspense passed over her ; but the next instant her magnificent countenance brightened up with hope and joyous expectation. The door opened—and Mr. Redcliffe was ushered into that apartment. The Princess made a movement as if she would have risen from the ottoman where she was seated, and would have flown towards him: but she re- pressed that evident inclination—she remained where she was—and with her head partially bent down, she surveyed the visitor with a look that was full of fondness as well as mournful depre- cation, and which likewise seemed to implore pare don and mercy at his hands. And he, on his side, remained standing for nearly a minute close by the door,—his tall. form enveloped in his ample cloak, —that form which was so upright, so well knit, and so commanding. His dark eyes were fixed half severely, half reproachfully upon the Prin- cess: but it was evident that there was the in- fluence of constraint upon both, and that neither knew how to begin addressing the other. “ At length we meet again,” said the Princess, in a low tremulous voice. “You received my summons—and you have come.” (C(O) 0)(0)(0) (2)