Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 342: what you’re looking at

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

334 WER ROYAL LOVER. Najeska Ivanowna was still silent. Her two little hands alone, frozen anew, like two snow-balls which were interlaced in each other, displayed the emotion which was undermining and lacerating her. The. last word uttered by M. Klug on taking leave of her, was a ray of light for the princess. “Notwithstanding that it is painful to me to men- tion the name of Heiligenthal in your presence,” he had said, “since it is Count Waldemar who has killed Prince de Mineleko in a duel (this young man, moreover, has since disappeared, and no one has been able to discover a vestige of him), a piece of news which I learned at the residence will per- haps have some interest for you, Madame la Prin- cess. The Heiligenthal family have at last con- sented to their daughter’s engagement with young Haller, son of the President of the Tribunal. whom the king has just elevated to the nobility in recom- pense of his long and faithful services.” Lhe ironical intonation with which Klug pro- nounced these last words did not escape Najeska Ivanowna. It was because he\had pronounced against her that her enemies had elevated him so high. When Klug had departed she did not shed a tear, she evinced no visible grief. She was petrified, almost stupefied. Ah! if she had only been able to dissipate this enormous weight, which was oppress- ing her heart, in heart-rending sobs. But nothing nothing! Not a word, not a cry. Only profound sighs were exhaled, one after the other, from her broken heart. The comedy in this whole contest was visible, hideous. One really remains stupefied at the thought that such a deed could be produced in full view of Gomicbooks. com