Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

HER ROYAL LOVER. See: ceremonial reverence, object of so many solicitudes, of so much study. According to the programme of this royal fefe,a quadrille of honor was to follow the circle of the king; the betrothed would dance it together, and the king with one of the ambassadresses. The mistress of ceremonies, the Countess Lang- weilig, was passing and repassing, full of business with the Count of Leerkopf, the master of cere- monies. Like all the rest of the women, she threw by stealth an envious glance upon the incontestable beauty of the evening, the new Ambassadress of Caucasus, whom the king would undoubtedly order to dance the quadrille of honor with him. Thus, it was this arrival of yesterday who alone was noticed. who alone was admired this evening! Grave outrage to the spirit of these native women, who, certainly, would have cordially detested one of their compatriots on whom such an honor had been conferred; thus, how could they ever pardon this rival come from abroad, this foreigner preferred to them all! What an offense! what an abhorrence! Yes, she was truly the luminous star of this firma- — ment, this slender and supple Caucasian, whose hair, bronzed like a chestnut ripened by the rays of an ardent sun, then no less scintillating than the diadem of diamonds and rubies set boldly upon the scarlet velvet “kokochnik,” and from whence flowed the long and becoming gauze veil bordered with gold. What was the color of this woman’s eyes? Like the chameleon they seemed to change their hue, zccording as the emotions of her heart alter- nately increased or diminished their brilliiancy. At certain times the light which flowed from them Gomicbooks (E(@)