The King's Talisman — page 179: what you’re looking at

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

170 THE KING’S TALISMAN. hibit. Time has been slowly creeping on, and the night of Idumea’s state is passed. I have done my duty, and God knows that Merolboth’s prince is all that a brave, intelli- gent, generous, and noble man can be. I have tried him, and I have found him worthy, and in God’s name I have given to him what for eighteen years was mine in trust— THe Kine’s TALISMAN!” As Abdah Nazor spoke, he turned and led forward the man who bore the royal insignia upon his brow. | ‘‘ Here, citizens of Petra, and subjects of Idumea,” he said, ‘‘is your king. ‘The censor shall examine the docu- ments of Merolboth, but to those noble features alone will I - trust for his passport to your love.” As the old man spoke, the new king took the helmet from his head, and turned his handsome face, all glowing with love and gratitude, around upon the people. Within the lustrous depths of those darkly flashing eyes, and from every turning of those noble features beamed the exact counter- part ot the sainted Merolboth. All knew that their eyes rested upon the true son of a kingly sire, and in a moment more, while the yet gazing thousands were almost spell- bound, the two censors entered the arena from without, and ere the people could remember that they had been impris- oned,, Moran cried out: “The first act of the new king has been to release your aged censors from Modad’s dungeon. NovUREDDIN is our king, and long may he live and reign!” The torch had been lighted—the spark had gone forth, and as bursts the roaring bolts of heaven’s thunder over the trembling earth, so burst forth the shout of Idumea’s en- raptured throng: ‘““NOUREDDIN! NoUREDDIN! Long may he live and reign!” | Like the descending avalanche, the people poured over the spacious arena and knelt at the feet of their monarch, Eomichbooks. co