The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 328: what you’re looking at

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

308 REYNOLDS’ WORKS was going into Hampshire. Thus no one at that villa, except Sagoonah herself, was aware of the princess’s destination; and the princess suspected not that her ayah knew it. ~ Jt was about three o’clock in the afternoon that the post-chaise entered upon the broad domain of Oaklands, and it presently dashed up to the front of the mansion. Purvis and the other domestics, in obedience to the instruc- tions received from the Duke of Marchmont, were in readi- ness to afford the princess a suitable welcome, and as she alighted from the post-chaise they were astonished at her extraordinary beauty. They had been told that an Oriental lady of rank, but preserving a strict incognita, would arrive at Oaklands; and they had pictured to themselves a dark- skinned female, apparelled in some extraordinary fashion. But when they beheld Indora, whose complexion was only of the most delicate duskiness, not exceeding that of a bru- nette, and with a fine-grained skin of transparent clearness, - apparelled too in a plain but tasteful travelling-costume, such as an English lady might wear, they were all taken by © surprise. Yet in this amazement — an amazement which was produced far more by her extraordinary beauty than by any other circumstances — the respectfulness of their demeanour was not for an instant lost, and she was at once conducted by the old steward to the state drawing-room. There she was waited upon by females of the household, who escorted her to the bedchamber prepared for her recep- tion; and now she put off her travelling costume to apparel herself in a richer and more elegant garb. On descending again to the drawing-room, she intimated a wish to be con- ducted over the. mansion, and Purvis was accordingly promptly in attendance. He led her through the various sumptuously furnished apartments, and in due course they reached the picture-gallery. There Indora appeared particu- larly interested by contemplating the portraits of the Duke of Marchmont’s ancestors, and throughout this inspection she conversed with the old steward in the most affable manner. “TI have been made nbeuaeeil ” she said, still lingering in the gallery, ‘with that terrible tragedy which is so fear- fully connected with the name of Oaklands. Were you here when it occurred?” | ~ Purvis responded in the affirmative, and Indora rrbeehiiiil ECOMCEOOOKS.C@)