Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 135: what you’re looking at

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

HER ROYAL LOVER, | 127 the first time when she was his fiancee, and now, as the wife of another. The king and Madame de Mineleko were con- tinuing silently to ascend the sinuous and narrow path, which conducted them to the object of their promenade. Entirely absorbed in the pleasures of this precious fete-a-itte, they were abandoning them- selves, without reservation, to the delights of this spring morning, whose warmth, perfumed by the odoriferous scents which were escaping from the gigantic oak, as well as from the least blade of grass, was enveloping them in a voluptuous happi- ness. For them, the word no longer existed; life belonged to them alone; thus were they far from thinking of that furious hate, which was brooding so near them, and whose effect was soon going to be felt in such a terrible fashion. The tall grass, enameled with flowers, which was orowing under the close arches of the trees, was more velvety than the softest plush. The shade was so dense that only when a rare vista was made through the trees, one could perceive, in the dis- tance, the meadows where the stupid cows were erazing, upon whose muzzles, the flies that the warmth attracted, were alighting by thousands. The wind was as if extinguished or dead. ‘The leaves remained immovable even under the breath of the fiery sun. The heat, already canicular, was weighing heavily upon this hot spring day. The king stopped very often; it seemed that he wished to enjoy, slowly, the delight which he was experiencing. Madame de Mineleko, her heart filled with a delicious confusion, but quite timid, quite intimidated, however, allowed herself to be submissively guided by him. Eomichbooks.com