The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 73: what you’re looking at

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

56 | _ REYNOLDS’ WORKS Ashton. In a moment, however, the disguised Hindu woman disappeared from the servant’s view, and the front door closed behind her, Sagoonah was now free. She hastened through the garden, she reached the gate, she sped along the lane toward the main road. She looked back, no one was in pursuit; more elated grew her heart, her feelings were indeed now at the highest pitch of exultation. | Sagoonah hastened onward. She dared not enter a vehicle, for she had no money in her pocket, and she had lived long enough in England to have a full knowledge of the indispensable character of that article in its application to nearly all the circumstances of life. But she had not proceeded far before she encountered a police officer, and to him she addressed herself. Meanwhile her flight was discovered at the villa. The female servant who had seen her pass through the hall, and had taken her for Miss Ashton, naturally conceived from the precipitation of her egress that something serious was occurring, and that the invalid ayah was perhaps much worse, so that Christina had hurried off to fetch the medical attendant. The servant ascended the stairs, to see if she could render the nurse any assistance, but on entering the sick-chamber she was stricken with dismay on finding that Sagoonah was gone and that the nurse lay gasping upon the carpet. The servant rang the bell instantly for assistance, while she began to administer restoratives to the nurse, and the first person who answered the pealing of that bell was Christina herself. Explanations were speedily given, and a rapid search made in Christina’s own chamber cleared up the mystery. Some of her ap- parel had disappeared, — the ayah had evidently fled. The faithful Mark, the queen’s majordomo, sped in pur- suit, but it was too late; Sagoonah was nowhere to be found. Christina was at first almost frantic, blaming herself for not having exercised sufficient vigilance during the queen’s absence. She likewise began to reproach the nurse for what she naturally conceived to be-her treacherous com- plicity in the flight, because Miss Ashton could not con- jecture that Sagoonah herself had procured the apparel which served as the disguise for her departure. The nurse however protested her innocence, and explained what had CORnNIELOOKS (E(0)