Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 267: what you’re looking at

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

HER ROYAL LOVER. 259 Under the influence of a profound irritation, she had spoken very loud, as if to make the grandmis- tress distinctly understand that now she was her queen, loud enough that these words might reach the ears of Madame de Lanegweilig. The grandmistress was not there to jest. She represented the old empress, stamping with impa- tience, and keeping the King of Thessaly a prisoner until the departure of the post-chaise which was to take Madame de Mineleko away. Knowing that it was for her interest to act with celerity, she decided not to parley any longer and, pushing the door ab- ruptly, she found herself in the middle of the cham- ber. Najeska Ivanowna, more outraged yet than frightened by this violation of her privacy, found the courage to redress herself. “Since when, madam, have you the right to penetrate at night in my apartment” “Madam,” said the grandmistress, with difficulty restraining an impertinence which she had cast with pleasure in the face of the detested and fallen women, “I act by order of the king.” “By the order of the king?—of the king, my hus- band’ cried Najeska Ivanowna, so stung to the quick by the insolent look of the grandmistress, that she did not hesitate to haughtily confess the truth. She believed she was thus establishing herself defi- nitely in her new dignity, by recalling to order the disrespectful subject of her husband. “Yes, madam, his majesty has just signed a de- cree of expulsion against you, and it is my duty,a very painful one, I assure you, to announce to you this news.” Madame de Mineleko believed at first that the old Ecomicbooks.com