Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 247: what you’re looking at

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

HER ROYAL LOVER. 239 coming. The frou frou of trains is heard essaying to make room in the narrow space which is indi- cated to them, the clicking of the gold lace of the uniforms and that of the sabers is joined in a music which lacks neither harmony nor originality. They arrange and disarrange chairs; at first, itis almost a confused noise, then order is gradually restored. Then all becomes radiant in this little sanctuary ; in the light of the chandeliers, the flowers of prec- ious stones, the diamonds of the princesses massed around the bride, before the altar, are glittering with a thousand fires. The organ, this sublime instrument which, like the violin expresses all the moods of the soul, unites its deep and joyous voice to that of the loud flourish of trumpets and throws under the vault of the an- tique chapel the chords of a triumphant nuptial march. Its sweet hymn gradually ascends in the silence at last re-established, its affecting modulations fill the vault of the chapel, the chords rise, swell, and the vibrations, more and more powerful, soon be- come formidable. The chant breaks forth in its turn; the souls, ravished by this sacred music, de- tach themselves from earth, to ascend toward God. Suddenly the sounds die away, calm is restored, the Lutheran minister advances toward the young betrothed and the ceremony commences. The emo- tion of the Empress of Hindostan is at its height, she thinks of that sweet princess, her daughter, the most dearly loved of all, that a rapid and relentless disease has snatched too young still, from a hus- band’s love, from the regrets of an entire family. The bride, forgets for a moment, also, the happiness which embraces her; she thinks of that place i Ecomicbooks.com