Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 72: what you’re looking at

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

64 HER ROYAL LOVER. fellow! But etiquette, inexorable etiquette is there. Notwithstanding the indignation which wrings him, he is silent‘ and covers his countenance with the impassable mask of the diplomat, always master of - himself. “Prince, how is the lovely ambassadress? Here is to her health!” And the king, making a gracious inclination of the head, extended his glass to Min- eleko. Mineleko responded automatically, similar to a maniken which, being accustomed to move, when the mechanism is wound up, stops no more, what- soever tumult may arise in it. It was true, then; the king was really smitten with the princess! that young Count de Heiligen- thal, whom he had seen one morning, was un- doubtedly only sent by his sovereign. _ “Accursed king! Brute!” These two epithets are the only ones formulated by his thoughts, goaded by an idea whose certitude became each day more notorious. “Besides, what other would dare pay court to an ambassador’s wife,” thought Mineleko, thoroughly imbued with his despotical Caucasian ideas, “when the monarch of the country is sighing for her. Ah! despicable king!” When, quite late in the night, Mineleko returned home, his wife had retired. Madame de 1—, well trained in the role which had been assigned to her, had departed, taking Heiligenthal with her, who had only yielded through the force of propriety. Najeska Ivanowna was not asleep when her hus- band softly entered her chamber. At the sight of the prince, the unhappy woman, fatigued by the struggle which she had just undergone, yielded to an impulse of nervous weakness, of despair, Gomicbooks:. co