Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 195: what you’re looking at

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

HER ROYAL LOVER, 187 Then, then only, Najeska Ivanowna compre- hended all. The king wished to marry her! Fora moment she was dazzled. What achange would be made in her existence! She would go from the arms of that jealous brute, to fall in those of this patient, noble, and gentle king, great lord to the tips of his fingers, who, like an impregnable fortress, would defend her against all tempests. But, strange thing, notwithstanding all the allure- ment this perspective might have, Najeska Ivan- owna was not happy. “Sire,” she suddenly responded, as if she had pos- sessed the gift of reading the future, “leave me to my husband! With him I am in my element; I feel instinctively, only too well, I am not born for happiness. Would you like to know what a Bo- hemian told me one day in telling my fortune? After having minutely examined the lines of my hand, these are the words which she uttered :” “‘Ghild, one day, a handsome king will cross your path of life; he will love you, and will want to set his royal cross upon your brow. But the crown will only hover over your head; it will always re- main suspended there. Flee from this king—flee from him as you would flee from a pestilence! The only dowry which he will bring you, will be shame and death!’ ”* “Ah, sire! pardon me for relating these things to you, but the impression which they have left on my mind, is one of those which cannot be effaced. In spite of all, I have remained a little savage of the borders of the Black Sea. Whatever my French in- structresses may have done, I am still that which I * This prophecy was really made to the unhappy woman whose his- tory is recorded in this true romance. Eomichbooks.com