Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 262: what you’re looking at

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

254 | HER ROYAL LOVER. who was still completely mad with the desire of always possessing this superb creature. He must hasten, however. The empress was not accustomed to waiting, and woe to him who had dared to thwart her! A half an hour had scarcely flown since the old sovereign’s order, before the King of Thessaly was already in her presence. The Princess Corysande and the hereditary Prince and Princess of Babylon were with her. “You must expel that woman! and you must ex- pel her immediately, instantly, this very night!” Such were the frantic words which fell precipi- tately from the baleful lips of the empress. In order not to allow the king a single moment for re- flection, whose feebleness of character was, how- ever, but too well known, Monsieur de Brandt, minister of the interior, and Monsieur de Werther, secretary of state and foreign affairs, had been sent for in great haste to come to their majesties and im- perial highnesses. While awaiting the arrival of Charles Ferdinand, a decree of banishment had been drawn up against Madame de Mineleko; and there was nothing to do but to legalize it and put it in exe- cution. “Compose yourself, your majesty! It will soon be midnight, and you cannot honestly compel this un- happy creature to depart at this hour, alone, de- prived of all. The blow that you wish to strike is too terrible; wait until to-morrow; you will be calmer and you will consider more wisely. Sucha procedure would attract the censure of everybody upon you.” the prince imperial had said to the em- press, while they were debating together what it was best to do. Eomicghbooks.co