The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 97: what you’re looking at

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

18 REYNOLDS’ WORKS dark but admirably modelled arm, but in anothér moment the head of the reptile was forced into the opening of the bag. A partial drawing of the string constricted the opening to just the limit of the reptile’s dimensions, so that it could not turn its head to bite as it gradually glided through her loosening grasp, and just as the point of its tail slipped through her palm, the string was drawn completely tight. Sagoonah then lowered the glass to within about an inch of the bottom of the case, thus giving it the appearance as if the serpent itself by its own efforts had raised it thus far, and she sped to rejoin her mistress and Christina, — the leathern bag with its fearful contents being concealed under her garments. She had not been altogether separated from the princess and our heroine more than five minutes before she thus overtook them, and it was with a demeanour as calm and collected as if nothing at - extraordinary had taken place. Our young heroine had been re and sickened by the contemplation of the reptiles; she felt faint, she looked very pale, and the Princess Indora accordingly resolved to take her home at once. They were in the close vicinage of the re- volving gate which affords egress exactly opposite the principal entrance; the carriage was in readiness, and thus within two or three minutes after Sagoonah had rejoined them, they were seated in the equipage once more. A quarter of an hour had probably elapsed from the departure of the princess, when the principal keeper of the ‘snake-house, on entering the room, was smitten with horror on observing that the glass front of the cobra’s case was raised, and that the cobra itself had disappeared. The cold perspiration burst out of the man’s forehead, and he shud- dered with a convulsing terror as the dreadful thought struck him that from some corner the deadly serpent might spring upon him. But the room is so arranged that a few moments’ careful scrutiny is sufficient for the eye to pene- trate into every nook, and the keeper, regaining somewhat of his self-possession, was thus enabled to satisfy himseli that the cobra was not within that room. He was a prudent man; he did not wish to excite a consternation amongst the visitors in the grounds; he closed the glass of the case, and sped away to the superintending authority of the gardens. This individual was speedily on the spot; there was evidence CORNICLIOO KS (E(0)