The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 198: what you’re looking at

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

180 REYNOLDS’ WORKS In the evening, when seated at the dinner-table with the Princess Indora, Christina observed, “The conversation with your ladyship this morning changed to a topic which so engrossed our attention that I had not the opportunity of expressing my hope that Mr. Redcliffe’s warning letter was never justified by any actual attempts of the nature to which he alluded.” “Immediately on the receipt of it,” responded the princess, “‘ I gave to the faithful Mark,’’ — thus alluding to her steward and majordomo —“ the instructions which Mr. Redcliffe had himself suggested. Two or three persons, male and female, had been noticed by Mark lurking about in the neighbourhood, and they endeavoured to enter into con- versation with him; but he treated them with so chilling a reserve that they saw they had nothing to gain in that quarter. During the last two or three months I have heard no more of such attempts to pry into my proceedings.” “Ts it possible that your Highness has enemies in this country?’ asked Christina, with the most perfect ingen- uousness; for her pure mind, as inexperienced as it was artless, entertained not the slightest notion as to what the snare could be into which it was sought to inveigle the princess and Sagoonah. “No, thank Heaven, I fear not enemies,” answered the princess. ‘“‘ But you, my sweet young friend, compre- hend not as yet that there are persons wicked enough in this world to spread nets for the feet of others,’”’ and having thus spoken, the Oriental lady gave the conversation an imme- diate turn, — not, however, with abruptness, but in a way that seemed perfectly natural. Precisely at noon on the following day, Christina alighted from the carriage at the Merediths’ habitation in the Regent’s Park; and as it was already arranged that the equipage was to return to fetch her at four, she had no fresh orders to give, and the vehicle was at once borne away again by the handsomely caparisoned pair attached to it. In a few moments the young maiden found herself clasped in the arms of Zoe. Lady Octavian received Christina in the drawing-room. She looked pale and languid, and our heroine was distressed to perceive that her beloved friend was yet some distance from complete restoration to health. Zoe questioned her 93 CORMICLOOOLK