The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 92: what you’re looking at

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

86 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. upright as a dart—her head somewhat inclined forward, like a flower upon its stalk: and yet in that uprightness there was neither ungraceful stiffness nor inelegant rigidity. She seemed to feel that, as a slave, she was bound to submit with all becoming respect to that survey on the part of her mistress. Had an observer been present, he could not have avoided thinking to himself that they were two of the most splendid specimens of oriental beauty, of distinct shades of complexion. “And have you never thought to yourself, Sagoonah,” asked the Princess Indora, “that you would like to know what love is >—have you never felt a craving to experience that sentiment which plays the chiefest part in all the affairs of this life? Has there been no curiosity in your soul to learn the joy, the delight, the happiness of love P” The Hindoo woman’s cheeks glowed as if with the purple flush of wine,—the rich red blood mantling through the transparency of her dusky skin: but the ruddy hue passed away as quickly as it rose up; and when the Princess again slowly turned her.eyes upon the countenance of Sa- goonah, it had its wonted look and expression again. “Yes—within the hour that is passing,’ said Indora, suddenly reverting to that topic which was most vitally interesting to herself, and with- out observing that her dependant had not an- swered the questions which she had put to her,— ““my fate must be sealed !” | “And if the Englishman’s decision be against your happiness, dear mistress of mine,” said Sa- goonah, now sinking on one knee and looking with affectionate earnestness up into Indora’s counte- nance, “ what will your Highness do?” “ Ah! what will I dor” she murmured, as an expression of anguish at the bare thought, flitted over her superb features. ‘“ What will I do, Sagoonah ?”—then after a pause, during which she seemed to reflect profoundly, she added in accents of mingled mournfulness and despair, “ Heaven only knows what I shall do!” “But yet, dear lady, you have every hope— have you not?” inquired Sagoonah, as she still knelt by the velvet-covered ottoman, and still gazed earnestly up into the countenance of Indora. “Do you not imagine, beloved Princess, that the sense of obligation is greater than that of wrong in the mind of the Englishman? If your Royal father kept him captive for so many, many years, he at least treated him with all becoming hospi- tality: he lodged him in his own palace—he gave him slaves to minister unto him—a guard of honour to attend upon him—and riches to dispose of as he thought fit.” “ Aye—but you understand not the proud soul of an Englishman!” replied the Princess Indora: “you comprehend not that however brilliant the circumstances of his captivity, it is captivity all the same! The chains may be of gold—but they are still chains which he burns to throw off. Like the bird in his gilded cage, he is dazzled not by the sumptuousness of his dwelling—but pants for the fresh air of freedom: and so it was with Clement Redcliffe. He knew that the slaves were sples upon his actions—that the guards, though ostensibly appointed to do him honour, were naught else than gaolers and custodians—and that > the riches heaped upon him, were mere toys to render his captivity somewhat the less intole- rable.” “And yet the Englishman bore himself courte- ously and well towards your Royal father and your Highness’s self,” observed Sagoonah. “It was with a cold courtesy,” responded In- dora; “and all that Clement Redcliffe did, was doubtless for the purpose of conciliating my sire in the hope of obtaining his freedom all the more quickly. Besides, the natural pride of a civilized Englishman could not help feeling flattered by being placed in a position to smooth down the asperities of our own semi-barbarism. Clement Redcliffe inculeated the arts of peace, and by his counsel enabled my father to amend those laws that were bad, and to promulgate newgones that were good, so as to forward the interests and pro- mote the happiness of the people of Inderabad. But not one single suggestion in the art of war did Clement Redcliffe ever proffer: nor would he afford the slightest insight into the discipline of those English troops who have rendered themselves so formidable in our native clime. Do you com- prehend wherefore he maintained so inexorable a reserve upon those points ?” * Doubtless, lady,’ answered Sagoonah, “ he thought that the time’ might come when the ° English invaders would push their conquests to your Royal parent’s far-off kingdom, and therefore he would not put a weapon, even the smallest and the bluntest, in the hands of your august father’s troops—for fear lest it should be used sooner or later against the armies of his own fellow- countrymen.” ““Yes—these were his motives,” rejoined the Princess; ‘and they rendered him all the more admirable—all the more noble, in my estimation. But I was ere now explaining how it was that Clement Redcliffe, while enduring his captivity, took a pride in propagating the arts of peace amongst us. Yet month after month and year after year did he demand his freedom; and at length my father would have given it but I, alas 4 The Princess stopped short; and Sagoonah, slowly rising from her kneeling position, retreated to a respectful distance, where she stood in her wonted attitude—her bayadere form upright, and her face inclining towards the splendidly modelled bust which the arrangements of her linen dress left more than half revealed. “°Twas strange,” proceeded Indora, after a brief pause, and again speaking in a musing manner, “that my interference should have come to Cle- ment Redcliffe’s knowledge: for my father would scarcely have spoken of it. Doubtless it was a surmise, though a correct one, on Redcliffe’s part: but how bitter were the reproaches which he levelled against me at the time! Ah, that was a scene of fearful excitement which I can never forget !” “Your Highness has suffered much for your love’s sake,” observed Sagoonah gently. “ Love is a rose with thorns,” answered Indora, in a mournful voice: “and perhaps, my faithful Sagoonah, it is fortunate for you that you have never experienced that sentiment. To me it has proved a source of illimitable happiness and of almost overwhelming affliction—the soul alter- CO) 0)(0)(0) (C So(CO) eee EEE ES ET NE Rt ee