The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 355: what you’re looking at

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

324 REYNOLDS’ WORKS upon such a deed as that, ought I not to be lenient in the judgment which I pass upon thee, Sagoonah? ”’ Here the queen’s musings were suddenly interrupted by a restless movement on Sagoonah’s part; she tossed her arms uneasily, and turned her head upon the pillow, as if she suffered pain either physically or mentally, perhaps in both ways. The queen rose from her seat and hastened to quiet the invalid. She took Sagoonah’s hands in her own, she pressed them; then she passed one of her hands caressingly and soothingly over the smooth dusky-hued cheek of the ayah, and then she assured herself that the bandages of the healing wound were not disturbed. While thus tenderly ministering to her dependent, Queen Indora completely lost sight of whatsoever motives of dark misgiving and deep re- sentment she had against the sleeping woman; it was only the invalid requiring all her attentions that she at the mo- ment heheld. And if anything were wanting to afford a complete illustration of the admirable qualities of Indora’s character, this deficiency was now supplied by the unfeigned sincerity and unalloyed tenderness of her behaviour toward one who had proved her enemy. Sagoonah appeared to have felt the soothing influence of her kind mistress’s caresses, though mentally unconscious that they were bestowed, for she relapsed into a state of com- posure. The queen was gently resuming her seat, when it struck her that some words were wavering upon Sagoonah’s lips. She stopped short and listened. Yes, the ayah was murmuring something, and this was the first time that a syllable had issued from those lips during the week which had now elapsed since the almost mortal wound was inflicted. It was evident that Sagoonah’s consciousness was returning, and that as the lamp of life was regaining its power it was be- ginning to light up the images and impressions that were most strongly marked in the cells of Sagoonah’s brain. Statue-like did Indora stand close by the couch, with up- heaved bosom breathlessly listening to whatsoever might first coherently come from Sagoonah’s lips. Again did the ayah move her arms, as if with a feverish uneasiness, and the queen was about to soothe her with the mesmeric influence of caresses again when the ayah spoke intelligibly and plainly, though feebly and in broken words. “Yes, I did it all, the wickedness was mine,” she thus ECORNIClIOOKS m