The King's Talisman — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

~ THE KING’S TALISMAN. 89 with its occupants, “did I not tell thee truly, when I said there was hope for us yet?” ‘“ You spoke with prophetic vision, kind one,” Selina an- swered, as she gazed into the face of her faithful attendant. ‘‘God grant that all may end as well as it has begun.” ‘“God will grant it,” enthusiastically returned Miriam, ‘‘or else He is not the kind Being that you have so often_ bidden me look up to in my prayers.” ‘“Ah, my child, you have not yet learned to read the character of the God whom I have taught you to worship. His children may not know why He marks out their thorny paths, but yet for their good it is done. I may suffer—l _ may even die in my sufferings, but beyond that God has laid His plans, and none may see their end, save to know they are good.” Selina saw the half-vacant stare with which her com- panion regarded her, and she knew that the girl’s mind compreliended not the mysteries of her religion, and in- stantly changing the subject, she added: ‘¢ But I do trust, Miriam, that all will end well with us, though we have by far the darkest point yet to cross over.” ‘«Surely, my mistress, we can have none darker than that which has already passed.” ‘‘Ves,” replied Selina, ‘‘we must stand again in the- power of the king; and though the brave Noureddin may raise his hand against the king’s servants, yet he will have no power against the monarch’s own personal authority.” «‘ But the young man has assured you that he has the power to protect you from Modad’s evil designs, and we surely have seen enough of his character to know well that he would not boast idly. He is too noble for that.” «< Noble,” murmured Selina, as a flood of peculiar light swam in her eyes—‘‘ay, he 7s noble, and he is kind, and I will trust him even with life itself.” There was nothing in the words that her mistress had cComicbooks €O