The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 171: what you’re looking at

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

148 REYNOLDS’ WORKS keep silent upon the subject. Perhaps, dear lady, I should have told you — “No, Christina,” observed the queen, “‘ you were generous and kind- hearted, and it is impossible to blame you. There is some dark mystery attached to the proceedings of Sagoo- nah, but it would be wrong to judge her hastily in a hostile sense. Sometimes the good intentions of individuals wear at the first glance a suspicious aspect, especially when they are executed in secrecy and when it is sought to shroud them in obscurity.” But having thus spoken, Queen Indora again relapsed into a profound pensiveness, and silence prevailed for many minutes in the apartment. ‘Do you not remember, lady,’ asked Christina, at length breaking this ‘silence in a gentle voice, ‘‘ that Mr. Redcliffe sent you a warning note, of which you spoke to me — ”’ “ Yes, yes, my dear friend,” ejaculated Indora, ‘‘ I have been thinking of it.” ‘‘ Ah!” exclaimed Christian, springing up from his seat, ‘and this reminds me of a duty as yet unfulfilled. In the bewilderment occasioned by this horrible occurrence, I had forgotten that we should give an immediate intimation to the police — ”’ “It is already done, Christian,” interrupted Queen In- dora. ‘“ Did you not hear me speaking to the surgeon on the subject, and intimating my desire that no greater publicity should be given to the occurrence than is absolutely neces- sary?” ‘But the officers of justice will come,”’ exclaimed Chris- tian. ‘‘ Would it not be weil for me to go and fetch Mr. Redcliffe, that he may advise us also? ”’ At this moment there was a knock at the front door, and Mark entered to say that an inspector of police, with a con- stable, requested an interview with her ladyship. The queen ordered them to be admitted; and we may here remind the reader that the real rank of Indora was generally unknown, and that she passed as an Indian lady of great wealth. But the twins, as well as the faithful Mark himself, knew that she was a queen, although, at her own request, they continued to address her by much more humble titles. The inspector and the constable entered the apartment in which Indora was seated with our hero and heroine, and the CORNICLIOOKS (E(0)