The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 220: what you’re looking at

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

THE EASTERN LADY 193 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 of 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 characterized 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 fashion. Her feet were thrust into plain Orien- tal 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 toward a queen, yet with that complete drawing-up of the loosely attired untrammelled form, which was habitual, she advanced toward her mistress, who spoke a few words, and the ayah, with a graceful inclination of the head, glided out of the room. In a few minutes she returned, carrying a massive silver salver, on which was an exquisitely cut slass containing some refreshing beverage, such as lemon- ade or sherbet. This she presented, with one knee bent down, to her mistress, who drank the contents of the glass at a draught, for she was evidently parched with the effect of internal agitation. From the same cause she felt heated, and on another word being spoken, the Hindu 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, Sagoonah?”’ said the lady, in- quiringly, ‘‘ or does my watch err? ”’ but we should observe that her conversation with the ayah was in an Eastern tongue. ‘“‘ It is near ten o’clock, may it please your Highness,’’ was the dependent’s response. (COU () LOOKS (C(O)