Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 288: what you’re looking at

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

280 HER ROYAL LOVER. A man, all covered still with the dust from his journey, was standing waiting in that part of the convent in which the opposite sex is still admitted. Raising his hand respectfully to his hat as if to exe- cute a sort of military salute, he presented to Ma- dame de Mineleko a large envelope sealed with the ministerial seal. Full of terror and anguish, Na- jeska Ivanowna, leaving the courier in the hall of the monastery, withdrew in order to be alone, en- tirely alone, to learn the contents of this letter so much desired. Who knows? perhaps it was a word of explanation from the king, a tender message from the husband of yesterday? Hardly had she cast her eyes upon this missive than she recognized with despair that the writing was not that of Charles Ferdinand. A vague presentiment compressed her heart like a vice, her hands were trembling so much that, incapable of controlling them, she had much difficulty in breaking the royal seal; armed with courage and impatience, however, she broke it. It was a communication from the ministry, “offering to Madame de Mineleko, in the king’s name, the title of Princess of Rodrom, with the land, the chateau, and the revenues dependent on the title, a private property of the king, situated out of his dominion, on the express condition that she would never again set her feet upon the soil of Thessaly and to aban- don forever her rights as the wife of the sovereign.” And this was all. Nota line, not a word, not a sign from the king. 3 A terrible cry escaped from the breast of the un- happy princess; but immediately, pride and indig- nation predominating, the second which was fran- tically ascending to her throat, expired, strangled by the force of her will. Nota word of reproach, Gomicbooks. co