The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 105: what you’re looking at

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

86 REYNOLDS’ WORKS that there is a serpent of deadly nature within these walls.”’ Christina had recoiled with sickness and loathing from the contemplation of the reptiles in the Zoological Gardens, and it was no affected sensation on her part. But she was not a silly, frivolous, weak-minded girl to yield herself to terrors when her own sound and steady judgment gave her every reason to believe that there was no actual foundation for them. She therefore at once said, ‘ Yes, it is impossible, my lady, for we have no venomous reptiles in this country, except the viper and adder, whose bites are seldom if ever fatal, and at all events, I have never read nor heard of one instance of their introducing themselves into houses.” Meanwhile the trembling messenger had risen from his kneeling posture, and slowly but keenly were his looks being plunged into every corner of the room. The senior messenger had started up in consternation when his comrade had ejacu- latingly announced his conviction of the presence of a ser- pent within those walls, but he was somewhat cheered and soothed by the assurances which the princess had given, although he still looked doubtingly upon his Hindu com- panion. | “It is at least strange,’ said the princess, speaking more hastily than before to Christina, ‘“‘ for this individual ”’ (alluding to the junior messenger) ‘‘ was originally one of the most celebrated snake-charmers in all India, until for a particular service rendered my royal father took him into his household and assigned him a confidential post. It is the peculiar instinct, if I may use the term, of some of these snake-charmers that they can actually tell when they are in the vicinage of that most deadly of reptiles, the cobra di capello. Perhaps it is an exhalation from their slimy forms which impregnates the atmosphere, and which, though im- perceptible to those unacquainted with the peculiarities of that species of serpent, is nevertheless sufficient to strike the extreme sensitiveness of the astute snake-charmers.”’ ‘“ But as for a cobra being within these walls, my lady,” said Christina, “‘it is simply impossible,” and yet as she spoke she shuddered at the bare idea. “T will question him again,” observed the princess. “ But look at him! assuredly this is no groundless nor mere panic terror under which he is labouring.” ECORMICLIOOKS (E(0)