Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 32: what you’re looking at

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

B4 HER ROYAL LOVER. tion; Madame de Mineleko, mute, her fan before her eyes, her head slightly bowed, divined rather than saw him. At last these words escaped the lips of the stranger: “You see, madam, I am not dead vet!” Slowly, sadly, Madame de Mineleko raised her head. “TI pray you,” said she, gently, “let us forget the past, and let us converse like old friends.” “What!” said he, “you wish me to forget a past which has remained so dear to me, although the role that you have played in it has been so odious!” He could not continue, so great was the indigna- tion expressed in the eyes of the princess who, rising - precipitately, regarded him with a sort of defiance, cast at the injurious words which he had just pro- nounced. Then, reconsidering, she suddenly as- sumed a tone of badinage but little in harmony with the alteration of her voice. “Come, count, let us not play tragedy here; offer me your arm, and let us take a turn in the ball- room, Will you not dance a quadrille with me?” The young man, confounded by so much sang froid, threw an icy glance upon the beautiful am- bassadress: “ Adieu, madam, since you have nothing else to say to me! 1» “ Adieu, then.” As she was about to withdraw, the stranger, with a passionate gesture, threw himself before her, obliging her to remain. “No,” said he, “no—you cannot leave me thus! You must tell me first, that which you have refused to tell me for a year. What did you do when this marriage was broken which we had determined (€(0) mm C JOO ‘S (GI @)