The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 215: what you’re looking at

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

204 e THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. which marks the slave! Who will believe me P Then what am I to do? Ah, happy thought ! apparel myself in the Queen’s raiment—become a lady at once—go richly dressed into the presence of the magistrate—and then, then he will believe me !” It was thus that Sagoonah re-enacted in her conscience-stricken unconsciousness —- and in the fever of her half-subdued, half-hashed delirium— that last scene which had entailed upon her so frightful a result. Indora continued to listen with breathless attention, but with dismayed and horri- fied feelings. Everything was now revealed to her:—had Sagoonah made a regular and inten- tional confeasion, it could not have been more explicit, nor could its details have been more lucidly defined. The Queen saw that for some time past she had indeed been cherishing a serpent who sought to sting her: she had been standing upon a mine to which the hand of the false Sagoonah was at any moment to apply the torch; and she was horrified—-she was astounded in one sense— but in another how grateful was she! And there —by the side of that couch on which the guilty woman lay, now silently sleeping once more—In- dora knelt ; and in the fervour of her Christian piety she poured forth her thanksgiving to the true God whom by Clement Redcliffe she had been taught to worship. Nothing more came that night from the lips of Sagvonah ; and Queen Indora re- tired to rest in an adjoining room. [F'requently, however, during the night did this royal lady rise to see that the nurse who in the meanwhile had taken her place, was doing her duty towards the . invalid : for notwithstanding that Indora had now obtained the complete reading of the whole sum of Sagoonab’s monstrous iniquity, yet not for an instant would she neglect that being whom her own kind cares had saved from dissolution. The Queen heard Christina return home in the carriage; and she could scarcely restrain herself from hastening at once to tell the young lady how all the mysteries of Sagoonah’s wickedness were cleared up, and how the motive of Christina’s forced abduction at the time was now thoroughly comprehended. But Indora resolved to wait uatil the morning ; for she knew that Mies Ashton must feel fatigued after the entertainment from which ahe had returned so late. The Queen did not suffer her young friend to be disturbed until she herself rang the bell for the maid shortly after nine o'clock in the morning; and then Indora, who was already up, proceeded to Christina’s chamber. “ My dear girl,” she said, “ there are many topics upon which I have never spoken to you mach, or at which I have only lightly glanced: but it is now suitable that you should know more of those subjects.” With this brief preface, the Queen proceeded to explain to the horrified and amased Christina how Bagoonah in her uneasy slumbers avowed sufficient to prove with what murderous intention she was inspired, when penetrating one night into her chamber,—adding, “And it was you, my sweet Christina, who were my guardian angel at the time! Yes—Sagoonah herself has declared that you are an angel!” The Queen then recited the ayah’s unconscious confession relative to the cobra di capello, and also in respect to Christina’s forcible abduction by the infamous Frenchwoman. Bat Indora said nothing relative to that portentous secret which regarded Clement Redciiffe, and which h had in- tended to ase as the means of dealing a blow of twofold vindictiveness. To all however that eas told her, the young maiden listened with thoes feclings of blended horror and wonderment which such revelations were but too well calculated to excite; and as she threw herself into the Queen’s arms, weeping and sobbing, she murmured, “ Ob, dear lady! it has been heaven's own hand that has guided you safely amidst so many and such fright- ful perils !” In the course of the forenoon Mr. Redcliffe called; and Indora communicated to him every- thing that bad issued from the lips of Sagoonah on the preceding evening. “ Rest assured, my dear Indora,” said Mr. Red- cliffe, “ that all the affairs in which I am in any way mixed up, are gradually but surely approach- ing a crisis. When any circumstances which it so deeply concerns an individual to bring to an issue, are thus unravelling themselves—when past mye- -teries are being cleared up as if by means simply accidental—and when a clearer insight is afforded into whatsoever was previously dark and uncer- tain,—rest assured, I say, that the end is not far distant. Have no fears for the result: I myself am full of confidence! My plans are working :— day by day are the meshes tightening in around those whom it is necessary or expedient to involve in such toils, and to place completely at my merey ; and the further I proceed, the clearer, the easier, and the more certain becomes the path which I have to pursue. Beware, however, lest Sagoonah should speak in the presence of that nurse 7 “J have taken every precaution,” responded the Queen. “I have purposely told sufficient to Christina to render that amiable girl interested in watching Sagoonah’s bedside at those times when I myself cannot be there; and the very instant that words begin to waver on Sagoonah’s lips, the nurse will be dismissed from the chamber. Be- sides, as Christina takes her turn with me in thus watching, there is eo little noed for the presence of the nurse at all!” The Queen and Mr. Redcliffe continued to dis- course for some little while longer ; and then the latter took his leave—he having business of im- rtance to attend to in respect to the various plans which he had in operation. Christian called in the forenoon; and after spending a couple of hours at the villa, he hastened away to see his dearly beloved Isabella Vincent. It was six o’clock in the evening—dinner was over at the villa—and the Queen said to Christina, “You havenot been out to-day, my dear girl—and your cheeks are somewhat pale after last night's entertainment. Goand take an hour’s ramble ia the garden or in the neighbourhood—#o that you may return revivified and refreshed, to give me your kind assistance in watching by the side of Sagoonah’s couch.” , Christina, intending to confine her ramble to the garden, threw on a large summer straw-hat, and issued forth from the villa. She had caught-up a volume of poems before leaving her room; and on passing out into the garden, she endeavoured to fix her attention upon the book—but she could not. COMIC DOG (CO