The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 308: what you’re looking at

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

CHRISTINA AND THE AYAH 291 in company with Sagoonah, who was engaged in the practice of her English reading. Here was another interesting spectacle, — that Hindu woman, evidently exerting all her powers to render herself proficient in the task which that beauteous English maiden was so willingly superintending. And when Christina bestowed well-deserved praises upon her pupil, the superb dark eyes of the latter lighted up to an almost preternatural lustre, flashing with Joy and triumph at the progress which she thus made. A few hours later the night has come, and Christina is alone in her own chamber at the princess’s villa. It was half-past ten o’clock, and the maiden had not long retired thither. She sat down at the toilet-table, while combing out the masses of her raven hair, but gradually she fell into a profound reverie, her hands sank upon her knees, the comb dropped without her perceiving it, and her hair re- mained floating all dishevelled upon her shoulders and down her back, lower than her waist. There were several topics which thus engaged Christina’s profound meditation. She thought of Zoe, —the amiable, the interesting, the kind- hearted lady, who she feared had been making the most dreadful sacrifice of her own feelings rather than suffer her husband to perceive that she had fathomed the secret of the love which he entertained for another. Then Christina thought of this love which Lord Octavian cherished toward herself; she strove to conjure up a feeling which might satisfy her that she was annoyed and indignant at being the object of this love, but she could not thus far do violence to the tender sentiment which existed with a certain degree of reciprocity in her own heart. Then she thought of her brother who a little while previously had lost his situation with the Earl of Lascelles, and had not as yet obtained another, and then her reflections turned, with mingled awe and horror, upon the mysterious death of that unfortunate nobleman. Christina’s reverie thus lasted for a long time, and when she gradually aroused herself from it, and consulted her watch, — which was a gift from the Princess Indora, — she per- ceived that it was past eleven o’clock. She was hastening to continue her night-toilet, and in another quarter of an hour was ready to retire to rest. But just as she was about to extinguish her candle, she thought she heard the sounds COnNIEDOOKS (C(O)