The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 117: what you’re looking at

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

94 REYNOLDS’ WORKS form, he thought to himself that never had he before been struck by the beauty which exists in a woman’s faultless shape. These hitherto unknown feelings expanded and strengthened within him, and it seemed as if he had suddenly become altogether a different being from what he was. In- dora disappeared in a turning of the gravel-walk, and then the Burker asked himself, ‘‘ What the devil is all this that has come over me? [I feel just like a child. I suppose it must be because I haven’t got my club as usual, and I’m like a lion without his teeth and claws. And yet that lady is uncommon beautiful. I never thought so much before of what a woman’s good looks might be.”’ Here Indora reappeared to the Burker’s view; he left off communing with himself, — his gaze was once more riveted upon her. As she drew nearer, he beheld an expression of ineffable sadness pass over her countenance; she was think- ing of her late father, and the tears trickled down her cheeks. She raised her kerchief to wipe them away, and the Burker was struck by the exquisite modelling of her hand and of as much of the arm as the sleeve of the caftan suffered to be visible. Then she thought of Clement Redcliffe, and a sweet smile played upon her lips, revealing a glimpse of the teeth of ivory whiteness. The Burker literally quivered at the strangeness of these new feelings which had come over him, and again was he on the point of rushing forth and imploring the lady’s pardon for the design which he had entertained toward her. But he checked himself, for at the instant his ear caught other footsteps advancing along a neighbouring oravel-walk. It was Sagoonah who sought her mistress, and now the Burker beheld that splendid Hindu woman, the dark grandeur of whose beauty was of so high an order, and whose lithe form was of so bayadere a symmetry. The Burker was as- tonished at the spectacle of this new personification of an- other style of feminine charm, and as the two walked away together, he followed them with his gaze. But in his own mind he endeavoured to establish a choice between them, it settled upon Indora. Yet the heart of this man, who was stained with a thousand crimes, and himself a monster of ugliness, was deeply touched by both the specimens of Oriental beauty which he had thus seen. “ You seek me, my Sagoonah,”’ said Queen Indora, as they ECORNIClIOOKS (E(0)