Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

140 HER ROYAL LOVER. Hardly had the latter quitted the apartment be- fore the prince opened the note. This is what he read: “Tf you wish to know where the Princess of Min- eleko is at present, go, without losing a moment, and rejoin her in the hunting pavilion, in the Parc- aux-Cerfs; there, if you make haste, you will find her in the arms of his ‘majesty.’ ” No signature to this letter, traced by a hand skill- ful in counterfeiting its writing. The paper, smooth and white, such as you may buy anywhere, had no distinctive mark which might have set one on the track of the author. A cloud, quick as a flash of lightning, abruptly obscured the sight of the ambassador; his heart, bounding under this terrible blow, commenced to beat so in his breast, that he believed that it was going to break. Without reasoning, without reflecting, listening only to the fury which, ike an immense wave, was chasing all logic from his mind, he took an extreme resolution. Did not the letter say that there was not a moment to lose, in order to surprise the guilty parties? Then why delay in hesitations; he should act. Ringing violently: “Saddle ‘Kinfer’ immediately,” said he, briefly, to a domestic who appeared. He was so bewildered that, for a moment, he for- got his lofty functions as ambassador. Recalled to a sentiment of reality by the entrance of his first secretary, he, the man so autocratic, so despotic, said to him quickly, seeking, if one may sav so, to excuse himself, for this precipitate departure at such an important moment: “Gairatinski, be not surprised at this urgent ab- m Gomicbooks.co