Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 235: what you’re looking at

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

HER ROYAL LOVER. ) 227 tion of this man upon whom she counted so much, was not to extend beyond this short and terrible moment passed before the altar of God! What would have become of her, the unfortunate one, if suddenly enlighteend with a divine knowledge she had divined that the king, incapable of defending her, would not be ashamed to forsake her, the well- beloved of his choice, falling completely broken before the fury of an old raving woman; yes, to this crabbed and despotic empress, he would cow- ardly sacrifice her, without expressing even a com- plaint or a murmur. While Najeska Ivanowna was tremblingly en- deavoring to cower behind her new husband,another ray of fire traversed yet again the darkness. A nearer rumbling was heard; then, like a dike which breaks, they heard the splashing of great drops of rain which were violently beating the windows of the chapel. The storm was still increasing. Now that they can see just clearly enough to enable them to distinguish the personages of this sad scene through the intense darkness, the minis- ter solemnly resumes the interrupted ceremony. It terminated in the midst of an icy cold which, likea cold sirroco, had driven afar the sultry and oppres- sive heat under which the city had sweltered since morning. Najeska Ivanowna’s teeth were chatter- ing fit to break; this first round of the ladder of her happiness, was so long, so lugubrious! When the last words of the religious ritual were pronounced, they were to separate with much pre- caution. The bride was to return to her home im-— mediately, where the king was to rejoin her before an hour. The chapel formed a building by itself of the royal chateau; but in an interior court there (E(0) mm C JOO Sat