The King's Talisman — page 43: what you’re looking at

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

34 THE KING'S TALISMAN. CHAPTER V. THE UNEXPECTED INTRUDER. Modad had seen his messenger depart for the court of Khaibar, and in view of his success thus far, he tried to quell the turbulent feelings of his bosom, but there was a certain misgiving that he could not banish from him. He had moved not from the couch upon which he reclined when Noureddin received his instructions, and a kind of moody reverie seemed to engross his senses. The two mutes stood like statues by his either side, save that occasionally they would cast a sidelong, fugitive glance at their master, as if to see what was moving in his mind, for so long had these speechless attendants been watchful of the least beck of the monarch, that they seldom failed to read his in most thoughts. They were powerful fellows, and Modad seldom felt fear of immediate personal danger while they were near him. Darker grew the cloud upon the king’s brow, and more evident became the workings of his internal doubts and fears. At length he arose from his couch and began to pace to and fro across the mosaic pavement of his apartment. The mutes drew back to the heavy drapery of the wall, and trembling they watched the every motion of their sovereign, for they feared to miss the first nod that he might make for their services. A dozen times had the king crossed the apartment, when the deep festoons at the entrance were thrown aside, anda _ eunuch bowed low before him. ‘“‘How now, slave?” cried Modad as he recovered from the first. shock -which the sound of footsteps had struck upon his guilt-strung nerves. Eomicboo SS (Eo) im