Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 202: what you’re looking at

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

194 HER ROYAL LOVER. young woman—his wife!—his Najeska Ivanowna! —the life of his life!—that he had so hastily re- moved him. Ah! scoundrel!—monster !—thou shalt pay me for it! I swear that thou shalt pay me! Though I perish with thee, I will kill thee!” The fury of the prince, that insane fury which al- ways was impelling him to commit extravagant deeds, was re-awakened with all its savage violence. Vassili was waiting in an apartment near to that of the prince. Since a long time, the devoted ser- vant was not mistaken in the precursory symptoms of his master’s paroxysms of rage. But, having rocked him as an infant, he understood him so per- fectly that he knew positively that if he was violent, he would at least never descend to crime; so when at that time all were suspecting him of the assas- sination of Kassan, an interior voice was impera- tively saying to the brother of the victim that it was impossible, impossible that this master, who wept for the servant almost as much as Vassili himself, could be guilty! On the contrary, at the time of the assault in the forest, he had not hesitated to believe that it was Mineleko who had committed it; the disgrace which had so closely followed this violence, had not sur- prised him. While listening to the irregular and precipitate steps in the prince’s apartment, which succeeded the profound silence of a short time before, Vassili suspected that something abnormal was occurring. He was frightened. My God! if he only had some influence over the ambassador! if it was permitted him to enter and say to him, “Master, my master! listen to a man who is entirely devoted to you! Instead of acting Gomichbooks.com