Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 87: what you’re looking at

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

HER ROYAL LOVER. 79 dor which he regards as the theater of the scene. There is not a stain of blood which may justify his fears, his suspicions, nothing anomalous indicates that a struggle has taken place; only, in some places the carpet appears a little rumpled. After this inspection, the Prince of Mineleko re- pairs to the chamber of his wife. The hasty rap which he gives at the door awoke or appeared to awaken the ambassadress, who came herself to admit him; for nearly always during the night, she kept herself locked in. Najeska Ivanowna was horribly pale. Ina few hurried words, Boris Michailowitch related to her all that had transpired. On hearing the frightful his- tory of this dreadful night she uttered a terribe cry. “Kassar! our brave and faithful Kassar is dead! —and was assassinated, moreover! Oh, it is impos- sible! impossible! : “Assassinated or committed suicide. However, the commissary will be here in a moment; he will perhaps solve for us this hideous doubt. But sud- denly the prince stopped, looking amazed at some stains of blood on the pedestal of a bust of the princess which was near the door of her chamber. “What is this?” demanded he of Najeska Ivan- owna. The ambassadress falters, starts. “This? Ah! I recollect; my nose bled last night, and it must have dropped on the marble.” But she trembles so violently while speaking that a frightful suspicion enters the heart of her hus- band. A strange instinct made him arise as if he wished to run to the wash basin and remove those stains. But he stopped on the way and recovered his icy coldness. Ecomichbooks:com