Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 272: what you’re looking at

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

264 HER ROYAL LOVER. the dead, that no one was worthy to occupy after her. The grandmistress had said so, and undoubtedly she had her instructions, if Madame de Mineleko refused to depart of her own will and without dis- turbance, there would be a new outrage, force, which they would employ against her. This refined and haughty sensitive plant would be seized and dragged away by the rude and brutal hands of sol- diers, of ignoble police; her aristocratic body would have to suffer those touches which, by themselves alone, destroy a woman. Alas! and she was only at the commencement of her calvary! A sublime resignation took the place of the revolt which had at first possessed her. Her decision was quickly made. “Leave me an hour to dress myself,” said she, coldly, to the Countess de Langweilig. “So be it; but make haste, I conjure you, for I ex- ceed my orders.” ) Madame de Langweilig was frightened at the strange sang froid which had taken possession of Madame de Mineleko. “Will you allow me at least the liberty of being alone in my chamber, madam?” said she, haught- ily, to the grandmistress. Kven this request could not be granted; the fu- rious and exalted imagination of the old empress was rendering her unjust, almost indecent. Fear- ing that the young woman might escape her, Ma- dame de Langweilig had been forbidden to lose the ambassadress out of her sight, though it were but a moment. “Alas! madam, I have orders not to leave you, even for a second,” | Gomicbooks.co m