Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 343: what you’re looking at

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

HER ROYAL LOVER. 335 this nineteenth century. However, is not this if ever the era of justice? But boast, whatsoever we may do as long as humanity exists it will always be thus. This last blow was the last drop for poor Najeska Ivanowna. Feeling herself abandoned, rejected by cruel and unjust men, she turned her eyes toward the Consoler of the afflicted, the Support of the feeble. The cup being too full, the unhappy creature thought of pouring it in the heart of one of these confidants that the church strews with such a touching pity upon the road of the afflicted. She comprehended at last that terrestrial existence is only a painful labor which must be accomplished in order to merit a more perfect state. The loss of her tirst husband, the denouement of her suit she be- lieved to be her last misfortunes. “My sister,” said she, “my sister, I would like to see a confessor. All that which was dear to me in life crumbles around me. Alone more than ever, I long for death, but not before having learned to love my enemies, and to pardon them.” Although since several weeks, incessantly harassed, without ever enjoying a single instant of relaxation, her soul was not embittered, so much spirituality she pre- served within her from whence flowed the scintilla- tion of a future existence. The nun, frightened and affected by so much des- pairing resignation, endeavored to revive the de- jected spirit of the unfortunate woman; her words fell like a gentle dew, drop by drop, upon this grief- stricken soul, but in vain. Surrendering to the uneasy desires of the poor invalid, she called the confessor so ardently desired, so hoped for, Gomichbooks