The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 106: what you’re looking at

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

REMORSE 89 excited; she interrupted herself with frequent appeals for pity, she gave vent to passionate entreaties for pardon. Her self-upbraidings and her declarations of penitence produced an alternation between an almost frenzied exaltation and a profound pathos. — ‘““ Oh, it is all true that I have told you, lady,” she cried, at the conclusion, ‘‘ and you see how that fiend of a French- woman appealed to me through the medium of my weakest points to attempt all these enormities. Perhaps you may understand her motives better than I, and, oh, leave her not unpunished, for she is one of those instruments of whom the Evil Spirit makes use to whisper dreadful temptations in the ears of individuals reduced to despair. Ah! that story of the snake, I know that it is scarcely credible, and yet it is all as I have narrated it. I myself shudder as I at present retro- spect over the frightful details. You must remember well the day on which you took Miss Ashton and myself to the beautiful gardens containing the wild beasts, the strange birds, and the horrible reptiles? But I will-show you how I brought the envenomed cobra to the villa. Oh, I am so anxious to prove that everything I am telling your ladyship is correct.” | It was with the most profound excitement that Sagoonah thus spoke. In the distressed, the anguished, and the mor- bid state of her mind she continued to cling to the idea that by her present conduct she was veritably making an atone- ment for her past misdeeds, and she therefore considered it above all things necessary that she could convince the queen of her statements in every one of their minutest details. Inspired with this idea, she repeated with excited ejaculation, ‘Yes, I will show your ladyship how I brought the hideous reptile hither.”’ | Thus speaking, Sagoonah suddenly burst from the room. ‘‘ Whither is she going? ”’ cried Christina, affrighted at the vehemence of her manner. “‘ She is frenzied.”’ The queen’s first impulse was to command that the ayah should not be allowed to penetrate into any other part of the villa, but on a second thought she said, ‘‘ Let her have her own way; the more perfect she renders her history the better perhaps will it serve my own purposes. One revelation leads to another, and we will let hers be complete.”’ “ What frightful things have we been hearing! ”’ exclaimed GOMIIGDOG SS (©)