The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 146: what you’re looking at

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

THE AYAH AND MR. REDCLIFFE 123 romance. I now insist that this may end, and remember that it is yourself who are the cause that I am speaking thus harshly.” Sagoonah drew back, and for a few instants she contem- plated Mr. Redcliffe in so singular a manner that he was utterly at a loss to fathom what was passing in her mind. It seemed as if the intense fervour of love were about to turn into hate, as if the fire which burned in her eyes expressed a passion of one kind that might in a moment flame up into another. But then, blended with all that, there was an ex- pression of mingled compassion and anguish upon her coun- tenance; and she looked, too, as if she still so far clung to hope that she would not yield to the desperation which might make her take some step impossible to be recalled. In a word, the ayah’s countenance at that moment was a tablet of the wildest contradictions; the traces of her feelings were there, but they were hieroglyphics impossible to be deciphered. “Mr. Redcliffe,’ said Sagoonah, all the fire of her eyes suddenly yielding to a deep and mournful pathos, ‘‘ you will not doom me to utter misery. Oh, do not, do not! Is there nought that I can do for you? Set me the most im- possible of tasks, and I will even achieve the impossible. Put my love to the test, you shall find that it will pass through the ordeal. Will you not have mercy upon me? Look upon me as a woman standing upon the brink of a precipice, and whom one touch of your hand may hurl over into the abyss, or bring back to a position of safety. Oh, my brain is turning! I feel as if I were going mad! Have mercy upon me! ” Sagoonah sank at Mr. Redcliffe’s feet; she pressed her hands to her brow, she gave vent to convulsive sobs. She appeared as if distracted. ‘“ T pity you, my poor Sagoonah,” he said, bending down to raise her, ‘‘ but beyond that feeling of compassion — ”’ “‘ Oh, such a love as mine,” interrupted the ayah, strongly emphasizing her words, “is not to be satisfied with mere compassion. Mr. Redcliffe, give me your love, or at least accept mine. But refuse me, and beware lest your scorn suddenly arms me with the venom of a serpent.”’ ‘“‘ Sagoonah,’”’ answered Mr. Redcliffe, “‘ I can now keep no terms with you; for I see that there is evil in your disposi- CORnNICLOOKS (CO)