Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 159: what you’re looking at

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

HER ROYAL LOVER. 151 3 Adlersward asked if he could see the ambassadress, and present to her personally the condolences of the king. “T will go and inquire,” said Prince Gariatinski, the first secretary, who had received the king’s aide- de-camp. Najeska Ivanowna, enveloped in a light dressing- gown, was extended on a couch in her boudoir. She had not wished to be put to bed; perhaps she had not even felt herself strong enough to support being entirely undressed. When Prince Gariatinski rapped at her door, the young lady was alone with her maid; her head encircled by bandages, she appeared half-asleep. With her acute sense of hearing, she heard the following phrase which Prince Gariatinski was whispering to her maid: “Monsieur le Ambassadeur having not yet re- turned, Count Adlersward comes, in the king’s name, to inquire if he can be received a moment by Madame la Princess.” The maid approached the invalid and repeated the request. “Tell Count Adlersward to enter, and retire until I ring for you.” When the aide-de-camp penetrated into the dark- ened room, he received a shock, on seeing the white specter stretched out. Could this creature, so pale, be the same as that young, brilliant woman, with the carnation of a beautiful full-blown flower, whom he had seen so radiant but a few hours before. Najeska Ivanowna signed to the king’s aide-de- camp to approach her. “Madame la Princess,” said he, on presenting the sealed note of the king to the ambassadress, “his Eomicbooks.com