The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

THE COBRA 83 to the crown of their royal master. Both were of the dark Hindu colour, and both were handsomely dressed in their native Oriental garb, — the chief material of their raiment being a dark velvet embroidered and laced with gold. One was a fine tall man, of portly form and commanding presence; his age might have been about fifty, and he was the senior in years as well as in rank. His companion was short of stature, slightly made and thin, with an angular profile, and restless eyes of exceeding sharpness. He was scarcely forty years of age, and Christina perceived that his garb, though handsome, was in several respects less rich than that of his comrade. That they were both devotedly at- tached to the royal family whom they served, might be judged, — first of all, from the fact of their being chosen as the confidential messengers of the king to his daughter, and secondly, from the look of joy and satisfaction which overspread their countenances the moment they were ushered into the presence of Indora. But those looks, so expressive of the natural ebullitions of their faithful hearts, almost instantaneously subsided into an air of profoundest respect, as they sank down upon their knees at the feet of the princess. For a moment tears started into Indora’s eyes as she beheld those personages whose presence so vividly reminded her of the palatial and paternal home which she had abandoned in order to follow the object of her devoted love to a strange and far-off clime, but quickly conquering her emotions — or at least preventing herself from being led into any further betrayal of them — she addressed the two messengers. She spoke in her native tongue, and though Christina understood it not, yet she comprehended sufficient from the tones and looks of her Highness to enable her to judge that she was speaking most kindly to them, and that she was thanking them for the fidelity and devotion they had displayed. She gave them her hand to kiss; each touched it respectfully with his lips, at the same time bowing profoundly once more. The princess then made a sign for them to rise from their kneeling posture, and as they obeyed, the senior emissary produced a letter which he tendered to her Highness. She took it with a trembling hand, and fresh tears sprang into her eyes as she beheld the superscription in the well-known writing of her father. She motioned the messengers to seat themselves, CORnnICLOOOKS (CO