Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 257: what you’re looking at

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

HER ROYAL LOVER. 249 “If your majesty will promise me to be calm, I will speak.” The empress grew pale. “It is a misfortune, then, and a great one, that you have come to tell me?” The prince made an affirmative gesture. “Who is it about?” “The King of Thessaly.” “The King of Thessaly! but I have left him in per- fect health, scarcely two hours ago.” “His health is as good as usual, and what is more, his Thessalian majesty is in a great state of beati- tude.” The empress regarded the prince attentively ; it seemed to her that he had become insane. That which he was saying was so incomprehensible that she was really excusable in her supposition. “That the king may be happy, very happy even, as I am, as we all are, in the establishment of his eldest daughter and at the brilliant marriage which is being arranged for Aline, that I comprehend; and I do not see anything in that which obliges you in such a persistent manner to defer a repose of which I have so much need.” The prince, taking affectionately the empress’ hands, said to her: “'There has been two marriages to-day, your maj- esty. That of the king has preceded that of his daughter by a few hours only.” At first the empress was certain that the prince was suffering from an hallucination. “You cannot believe me!” said the prince, aston- ished at the calm of the empress; “but Madame de H—— has discovered, through. the. minister’s wife, "comicbooks.com