The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 313: what you’re looking at

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THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 307 As the ayah thus spoke, her eyes kept flashing continuous fires—her nostrils dilated—her bosom swelled—and she drew that bayadere form of her’s up with so queen-like an air, that her whole de- meanour astonished and terrified Madame An- gelique. “There is some strange mystery in all this!” thought the infamous woman to herself: and she was bewildered how to act. At length she said, “My dear Sagoonah, you treat me most sin- gularly—most unkindly! Are we not to act to- gether ?” “Tn what way ?” demanded the ayah, who had all in a moment become calm and collected again. “Tf I still sought the ruin of my mistress, there is no means of effecting it: for the chance to which I helped’ you has been flung away in the most dastard manner.” “Can you not possibly ascertain the real mo- tive which induced the Lady Indora to visit Oak- lands? That is all I now require,’ continued Madame Angelique: “and I will lavish gold upon you if you succour me in my aim.” “Do you fancy, then,” asked Sagoonah, fixing her dark eyes penetratingly upon Madame An- gelique, “that the Lady Indora made use of you as an instrument to further her own views, instead of herself becoming your dupe and your victim P” “Yes,” exclaimed Madame Angelique: ‘ that is the very opinion which the Duke of Marchmont himself expressed, and which I now hold.” Sagoonah reflected profoundly for several minutes, during which so fixed was her gaze downward—so grave and unruflled was her coun- tenance—that Madame Angelique could not form the shghtest conjecture as to what things she was revolving in her mind. At length the ayah slowly raised her head; and again fixing her looks with an earnest but unfathomable expression upon the Frenchwoman, she said, “Then the Duke of Marchmont is afraid ?” “The conduct of the Lady Indora,”’ replied Madame Angelique, “was of a character to en- gender vague and mysterious apprehensions “Of what ?” asked Sagoonah quickly. “1 know not,’ responded Madame Angelique, really bewildered by the question. “ Perhaps the Duke imagines that a lady visiting his country- seat under such extraordinary circumstances, and conducting herself so singularly as she did, must -have some hidden motive which is full of vague avd ominous portent.” “And it is!” rejoined Sagoonah: then again fixing her luminous dark eyes with a strange sig- nificancy on Madame Angelique, she added, “ Rest assured that if the Duke of Marchmont do not most effectually ruin the Lady Indora, she will prove the ruin of him! Let this warning sufiice : —and now Icharge you that you come hither to ‘seek me no more!” “One word, Sagoonah—and only one word!” exclaimed Madame Angelique, terrified by the ayah’s solemnly given warning: for at the moment she could think of no ruin which might overtake the Duke without involving herself at the same time; because she gould not fancy that whatso- ever mischief which Indora had it in her power to achieve, was in any way apart from an invocation of the law’s vengeance on those who had en- deayoured to beguile her to her destruction. Sagoonah was hastily turning away when she had given utterance to her words of warning: but at that entreaty of Madame Angelique she stopped short,—saying, “ What would you yet with me P” “You have told me,” responded the French- woman, “that ruin will overtake the Duke if Indora herself be not ruined. In ease of need, may I again rely upon your services P” Sagoonah reflected deeply for a few instants— and then said, “To-morrow, at this same hour, I will be here.” Having thus spoken, she passed hastily away ; and her white raiment was lost to Madame An- gelique’s view amongst the dense foliage of the garden CHAPTER LVIII. MR. SHADBOLT. BETWEEN nine and ten o’clock in the evening, we shall again find the Duke of Marchmont and Madame Angelique closeted together in the luxu- riously furnished sitting-room which the latter was wont to occupy. ‘The infamous woman had explained to the Duke all which passed between herself and Sagoonah; and Marchmont was deeply agitated thereby. Madame Angelique had not as yet questioned him as to the particular cause of this trouble—for she thought that she more or less knew it, and that it concerned herself as much as him: but she presently said, ‘‘ How was it that your Grace assured me last evening that we had nothins to apprehend in the shape of exposure or law-proceedings ?” “T scarcely know what I said,” he answered. “You saw that I was excited and _ bewil- dered # “But what can she do?” demanded Madame Angelique nervously. ‘If she were to Jay an information before a magistrate,” returned the Duke, “you would at once be arrested: and though the privilege of the peerage would save me from the same extent of ignominy that would overtake you, yet the ex- posure would be terrific for me likewise.” “And yet,” cried Madame Angelique, asa re- membrance smote her, “the ayah never told me that the Princess meditated my ruin! And then, too, I cannot understand why Indora should have gone prying and peering into the affairs at Oak- lands, as your Grace last night informed me she had done. After all, my lord,’ added the woman, clinging to the hope which had thus sprung up within her, “I think that it is your Grace who somehow or another has alone cause for appre- hension.” ‘You think so ?” said the Duke: and a strange expression passed over his countenance. “ Listen, Madame Angelique,” he continued to observe, “you do not know these eastern women—it is impos- sible to fathom their designs. They are stealthy and treacherous as the serpents which belong to their native clime. Sagoonah’s warning is not to be neglected! Rest assured that the Princess Indora is terribly vindictive ¥ ———— ne | | | | | | | | | | | | | | J Go JOOKSEHGO m