The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 169: what you’re looking at

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

146 REYNOLDS’ WORKS and the garments were quickly stripped off by the female domestics, Indora and Christina being likewise present; but Christian for delicacy’s sake had forborne to follow into that chamber until Sagoonah was placed in the couch. The surgeon arrived, and then Christian entered with him. The wound inflicted upon the ayah was deep and serious, but it was not mortal. The medical man could not, how- ever, at this early stage of his ministrations, hold out the positive certainty that she would recover. Everything in the meantime was done that his skill suggested, and then he had leisure to inquire how the murderous attempt had been made. But on this point no one seemed able to give him any satisfactory answer; yet it appeared only too probable that the assassin-blow was intended for the queen herself, inas- much as the hapless Sagoonah had been disguised in her raiment. But here was fresh food for speculation and conjecture, and something had been discovered which was not men- tioned to the surgeon, inasmuch as it pleased Indora to issue a request to Christian and Christina, and a command to her domestics, that silence on that head should be observed; for if Sagoonah should recover, she might be enabled to give some satisfactory explanation, whereas 1f, on the other hand, she should perish, the queen with her wonted generosity was anxious to spare her from the stigma which exposure would affix upon her name. The incident to which we allude was the fact that a quantity of gold and a number of Indora’s most valuable jewels were found upon Sagoonah’s person, concealed beneath the garments in which she had disguised herself. — The surgeon took his departure, to prepare some medi- cines which were to be administered to the wounded woman, but he promised to return in the course of an hour or two. Now the queen, Christian, and Christina — the first sense of excited horror being over — had leisure to discourse on the terrible incident that had occurred. : “It was your own life, dear lady,’”’ said Christina, taking the queen’s hand and pressing it to her lips, “‘ which was aimed at. Providence has shielded you, though it is fearful to contemplate that a blow has nevertheless been dealt at another. Oh, what a horrible mystery! ”’ “Tam utterly at a loss to conceive what could have been ECORNICLIOOKS (E(0)