Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 268: what you’re looking at

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

260 HER ROYAL LOVER. erandmistress had taken leave of her senses, or else that she herself had imperfectly comprehended her. Instinctively she raised her hands to her forehead as if to compress there her reason ready to escape her. “Tam, madam, under the necessity of entreating you, of ordering you even, to hasten. A post-chaise, harnessed to four stout horses, is before the door; it awaits you. You must dress quickly then, and de- part.” For a moment Najeska Ivanowna appeared crushed; but, suddenly recovering her presence of mind, she said: | “You pretend that it is his majesty the king who has given you such orders! the king who loves me more than his life! than his throne!” said she, with all the haughtiness of an offended queen. “Get you gone! get you gone immediately! Lorder you out; you are a miserable wretch, for you lie!” For all response, Madame de Lang weilig presented to the unfortunate woman the decree of banish- ment, signed by the king himself. This writing she was as well acquainted with as herself, her eyes could not deceive her! My God! but was she losing her senses! was she the plaything of a frightfnl nightmare? The unhappy woman, completely crushed, let herself fall upon a seat. Yes, this writing was really the king’s! And, however, she was not dream- ing when she recalled that scarcely an instant be- fore he was here, beside her, passionately in love, entirely taken up with promises for a future which he wished to make delightful and happy! By a superhuman effort she endeavored to recover from the terrible shock which she had just received, GEomicbooks. co m