The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 224: what you’re looking at

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

THE EASTERN LADY 197 my heart; it is that the brilliancy of your intellect filled me with admiration, your manners charmed me, your knowledge enlightened me.”’ She ceased for a moment, and then, with a sudden transi- tion from one language to another, she went on to speak, but now in the English tongue, and with a fluency, an elo- quence, a precision of accent, and a correctness of idiom that were truly remarkable. ‘‘ For all these reasons, Clement Redcliffe, do I love you. My happiness now depends upon the next word which must fall from your lips. Ponder well ere you speak that word, if it be to cause the wreck of a fellow creature’s happiness. Ah! there was another reason which made me love you, and if I forgot to mention it ere now, it notwithstanding is far from being the least. It is that you taught me the sub- lime doctrines of your own religion, that you weaned me from paganism and raised me up to be a Christian. You eradicated from my mind all the detestable prejudices with which it had been imbued; you reclaimed me from a condi- tion of mental darkness; you guided me into the paths of light. And think you that the gratitude wherewith you inspired me was not certain to expand and deepen into love? Yes, and more. You taught me your own native language, — that language in which I am now addressing you.”’ ‘* Princess,’ responded Redcliffe, now also speaking in the English language, ‘it cuts me to the very soul to hear all these things flow from your lips, for I am not naturally stern, cruel, and pitiless, and yet there is a word that must be spoken, but to which I tremble to give utterance.”’ ‘“‘ No, no, breathe it not,”’ ejaculated Indora, with a sudden start and with dilating eyes; ‘‘ breathe it not, I entreat you! It would be my death-blow. Think on all that I have done for your sake, — my native land abandoned, a strange and far- off clime willingly and gladly sought, — think of all this, I say,—and give me some hope, some encouragement, I beseech and implore you.” ‘“‘Indora,’’ answered Redcliffe; now summoning all his fortitude to his aid, and endeavouring to crush the more generous feelings of his nature beneath the iron heel of his own strong will, ‘‘ it is for your own sake that I must speak promptly and decisively. I would not insult you — I would not wound you, by returning a written response to your own EORnNIClOOOKS (E(0)