The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 369: what you’re looking at

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

302 REYNOLDS’ WORKS ‘“ And is it impossible for you to draw her into conversa- tion? ”’ inquired Madame Angelique. ‘“Tmpossible on that point, I feel convinced,” answered Sagoonah. “ But can you think I shall attempt to serve you further when you throw away such golden oppor- tunities? ”’ and there was so sinister a light shining in the depths of her lustrous eyes that the wily Frenchwoman was strangely struck thereby. ‘“Sagoonah,”’ she said, as a suspicion arose in her tanhuck gh | Hank that it was not for the sake of the gold alone you undertook to serve my purpose? ”’ ‘“And wherefore do you think that?” asked the ayah, coldly. ‘‘ Because there is a visible feeling of annoyance on your part at the failure of the enterprise. You wished your mistress to succumb to the Duke of Marchmont?” and Madame Angelique fixed her eyes keenly upon the counte- nance of the ayah. ‘“ Explain yourself more fully,’ said Sagoonah, still with a cold and unruffled demeanour. ‘Perhaps you have reason to dislike your mistress? ”’ suggested Madame Angelique, “ and you therefore aided in a scheme which was to effect her ruin. In a word, you were inspired by a hope of vengeance? ”’ “No, not vengeance,’ murmured the ayah, now all in an instant becoming profoundly agitated. ‘‘ My mistress has ever been kind to me, but there is something here ”’ — and she laid her hand upon her heart — “‘ which seems to be an evil spirit prompting me to dreadful things.” “It is as I have said,’ resumed Madame Angelique: “you have some bitter feeling in respect to your mistress, and therefore you aided in the hope of working her ruin? ”’ “Woman,” replied Sagoonah, fiercely, ‘‘ the evil spirit has thrown you as a temptress in my way. Would that I had never seen you, or else that your plans had been effectu- ally carried out. For now I have all the remorse of an evil deed, without the satisfaction of knowing that it was accom- plished.” ‘Do not reproach me,” said Madame Angelique, in that voice of cajolery which she knew so well how to assume, “but let us converse reasonably together. Ah!” she ejaculated, as another suspicion struck her, “ perhaps you / CONNIE ACO KS (EO) m