The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 384: what you’re looking at

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

SAGOONAH 367 given not to descend again at night to study the huge files of the T1mes. “This is wrong of Sagoonah,” said Christina to herself; “it is doubly wrong, — in the first place because no one ought to be moving about the house with a candle at this time of night, and secondly because she herself admitted that for some particular reason the princess would be angry with her if she looked into those files.”’ Having thus mused to herself, Christina sat up in bed and again listened. All was profoundly silent, and with sus- pended breath did our young heroine continue to await the slightest, faintest sound that might next fall upon her ear. And it came; it was another footstep, so light, so airy, indeed so barely ‘perceptible that a doubt even lingered in Christina’s mind whether she had caught it. Still she was resolved to assure herself on the point, but yet to do so in such a way that in case of being mistaken, she herself might not incur the risk of disturbing any other sleeper. It was therefore with the utmost caution she rose and opened the door, —a caution so great that neither the turning of the handle nor the moving of the door upon its hinges raised a sound half so audible as the footstep she had heard. But, ah! as she looked forth upon the landing, she beheld a light glimmering from the princess’s chamber, the door of which evidently stood open. Now the first thought that struck her was that Indora had been seized with indisposi- tion, and yet she heard no sounds of voices, no one moving in the chamber of her Highness. She hastened along the passage, — her naked feet raising not the slightest sound, but yet her night-dress swept for an instant against the wall, and the next moment Sagoonah issued forth from the cham- ber of the princess. She had a light in one hand, and she appeared as if she had just thrust something with the other amidst the folds of her dress, for she was apparelled in her day costume. An ejaculation was about to issue from Chris- tina’s lips, an anxious inquiry whether the princess was indisposed, when Sagoonah made her a vehement sign to hold her peace; and Christina was now struck by the strange expression of the ayah’s countenance and the fearful light that was burning in her eyes. An unknown terror for an instant seized upon the young maiden, transfixing, petrify- ing her, During this momentary interval Sagoonah noise- CONNICLOO© Ss co