The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 187: what you’re looking at

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

164 REYNOLDS’ WORKS paragraph relative to the occurrence at Indora’s villa, and it may be as well for us to make the reader aware of the extent to which the particulars thereof had transpired. The paragraph ran in the ensuing manner: ‘‘ MysTERIOUS ATTEMPT AT ASSASSINATION. — A beauti- ful and somewhat secluded villa, situated in the neigh- bourhood of Bayswater and Notting Hill, was last evening the scene of a crime which is enveloped in considerable mystery. The villa thus alluded to is inhabited by an Eastern lady of rank and fortune, who, it is believed, was impelled by curiosity to visit our shores. Amongst the domestics in the service of the Lady Indora is a beautiful Hindu woman, named Sagoonah. Last evening Sagoonah, while walking in the garden attached to the villa, was assailed by some unknown miscreant, who inflicted upon her a severe wound with a knife or other sharp instrument. The cry which the unfortunate woman uttered reached the ears of the Lady Indora, and her ladyship, accompanied by some guests whom she was entertaining at the time, rushed forth into the garden. The unfortunate Sagoonah was discovered senseless on the ground, wounded in the manner already described, and she was at once conveyed into the house. Surgical assistance was immediately pro- cured, and we are happy in being enabled to state that there is no reason to despair of Sagoonah’s eventual re- covery. The police were quickly informed of the circum- stance, and on examining the premises, they traced the footsteps of the assassin for some little distance, until the marks altogether disappeared. The Lady Indora is quite unable to account for the murderous attack made upon her dependent, and thus for the present the deed is en- veloped in the darkest mystery.” Such was the paragraph inserted in the morning journals, and the Duke of Marchmont was thereby made aware of the fact that it was the ayah Sagoonah who had been stricken by the Burker’s weapon. He could only account for it by the conjecture that the Burker must have made some extraordinary mistake; but his mind was relieved of a considerable load, inasmuch as it was evident that Indora was maintaining a profound silence in respect to CORNICIOOKS (E(0)