Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 270: what you’re looking at

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

262 , HER ROYAL LOVER. “Will you, if you please, since you are so clear and explicit, tell me for what crime they dare—co you comprehend me perfectly—they dare” (and she pronounced these words in a terrible manner) “to outrage me thus, me, an ex-ambassadress, now the wite of a king!” Madame de Lang weilig, although not very timid, had not the hardihood to tell her that it was pre- cisely because she had not feared to accept the hand of the king, that this dreadful and unmerited chastisement was falling upon her; the terrible vengeance of the cruel and furious caprice of an old frantic woman. “You are silent, and the king does not come,” said the young woman suddenly. “If that which you tell me is true, however, to what a coward, unjust destiny must then have united me!” She beat her hands with despair and rage. At this moment the rumbling of a carriage, the cracking of the postilion’s whip and the tinkling of the bells of the post-horses, were heard in the dis- tance. Najeska Ivanowna ran to the window, from whence she rapidly drew aside the curtain. It was a dark night without; the illumination of the resi- dence city, never very marvelous, even in the begin- niug of the evening, was almost totally extin- guished, even on this night on which all had been illuminated for the princess’ marriage. But, with the eyes of alynx animated with indignation, the princess distinguished the outlines of a heavy post- chaise harnessed to four horses. It was advancing slowly toward une palace; the draw-bridge had al- ready been crossed. Going straight ahead, the vehicle stopped under the very window of the rooms GEomicbooks: co m