Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 169: what you’re looking at

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

HER ROYAL LOVER. 161 CHAPTER XX. A SUMMONS FROM THE KING. Mineleko, however, had hastened to be alone. Never in his life had he been harassed by so many contradictory emotions. It was very bitterly, very sincerely that he was repenting of the cowardliness of his passion. This blunder which he had com- mitted was placing him ina very disastrous position ; he might, by a single stroke, lose both his wife and his situation, but what did his career signify to him, if his Najeska Ivanowna remained to him! He knew that the princess had noble and mag- nanimous characteristics; she would never betray him. But would it be the same with the groom, this miserable salaried canaille? If he was silent to- day, he might speak to-morrow! As long as he should live, he, a Mineleko, would be at the mercy of his valet, who would, perhaps, grant a silence which he should have to purchase, in order to save his honor. And although, even after having well paid him, would he yet be sure of not being be- trayed some day? Had not his anger once more blinded him odiously enough? But that anonymous letter spoke the truth, however, since Najeska Ivanowna had not denied anything. But, calmer now, he commenced to reason, which instead of following, should have preceded his folly; nothing astonishing, then, if this infamous anonymous letter was an ignoble calumny. His young wife might easily have been with the king, Gomichbooks.com