The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 385: what you’re looking at

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

308 REYNOLDS’ WORKS lessly closed the door of the princess’s chamber, and then making a sign for Christina to retreat into her own, she followed her thither. , Closing the door with an unabated caution, Sagoonah placed her candle upon the drawers, and taking Christina’s hand, made her sit down by her side upon an ottoman which was at the foot of the bed, for the chamber which our heroine occupied was as elegantly and as sumptuously furnished as all the rest. ‘You are surprised, Miss Ashton,” said Sagoonah, in a low, whispering voice, but with an air of perfect calmness, contrasting strangely with the sinister expression her coun- tenance had worn a few moments back, — ‘‘ you are sur- prised, Miss Ashton, to have thus found me in the chamber of my mistress.” ‘“T cannot say that I am still surprised,’’ responded Chris- tina, “‘ because I have no doubt you will give a satisfactory explanation. I feared that the Lady Indora was ill, but this, thank Heaven, does not seem to be the case, or you would not have left her, and moreover you would have permitted me to render my assistance.” ‘“ Listen to me, Miss Ashton,”’ continued Sagoonah. “‘ You know that Iam devoted to my beloved mistress — ’’ ‘“ | know that you have indeed every reason to love her,’’ said our amiable heroine, “ for I, who have only known her for a few short weeks, love her much, and you have known her from your infancy. But tell me, Sagoonah, why did you look so strange when issuing from the chamber? You terrified me.”’ ‘Listen, Miss Ashton,’ continued the ayah, with the calmest self-possession. ‘‘I have no doubt that with your Enelish notions — and you call them the effects of your high civilization — you will be startled and astonished, perhaps you will even survey me with pity and contempt, when I tell you of the belief which I entertain. The conviction is firm in my mind that evil spirits walk abroad at night, and that they have not merely the power to haunt and scare those whose bedsides they visit, but likewise to wreak upon them a physical mischief. Do you comprehend me, Miss Ashton? ”’ : We should here observe that we are not recording the precise language of which Sagoonah made use, nor do we Gomichbooks (E(0) m