The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 209: what you’re looking at

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

THE MILLINER 191 would not have it known that I had even for a few days assumed the national garb of English ladies. Therefore come not yourself again to this house, but when the costumes are in readiness forward them to me, packed in boxes. Send me your account by the post, and I will remit you a draft for the payment. At the same time that you will have occasion thus to communicate with me, you can let me know whether you have been enabled — ” | “To obtain the ducal permission for your ladyship to make a short sojourn at Oaklands?” exclaimed Madame Angelique. ‘ Oh, I can take it upon myself to give your ladyship a most positive assurance upon the point. And at the same time that I have the honour of communicating with your ladyship, I will furnish instructions relative to the route which is to be taken to Oaklands, should your ladyship proceed thither in a private manner by post- chaise, which will be the better means of conveyance.” ‘““T am really obliged to you,” responded Indora, “ for all the kind interest you are thus displaying toward the grati- fication of the whim which I have conceived. Probably in a week or ten days I shall hear from you? ” ‘“‘ Assuredly so, my lady,” replied Madame Angelique. Indora now, by a gesture, intimated that the audience was at an end, and the Frenchwoman carried herself by dint of a continuous series of curtsies toward the door. But _ perhaps, if she had observed as she closed that door behind herself the singular expression which swept over the superb countenance of the Oriental lady, she would have had some misgiving as to the real meaning of Indora’s conduct through- out this proceeding, for it was an expression of such mingled scorn, contempt, triumphant satisfaction, all so strangely blended as scarcely to be definable in words. Madame Angelique found Sagoonah waiting in the hall to afford her egress, and the rapid, significant look which the wily woman bent upon the ayah conveyed to the latter an intimation of complete success. Then Sagoonah’s natu- rally lustrous eyes flashed still more brilliant fires, but as- suredly not alone with a gratified greed experienced on account of the gold which Madame Angelique thrust into her hand. Indeed, the Frenchwoman herself could not comprehend the luminous strangeness of the ayah’s looks, and for a moment they troubled her as if with a sort of vague COMMING OOO) (EO)