Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 293: what you’re looking at

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

HER ROYAL LOVER. 885 a legal deed of gift made in your favor at the time of his union with you. I am going to address myself . to the pastor and, rigorously, to the minister of wor- ship, to obtain a copy of the church register; I will act in the same manner with the counselors who have drawn up the civil contract. Afterward, Ma- dame la Princess, it will be necessary, by all means, to compel the government to retract the decree of banishment unjustly launched against you. Wivh- out some grave misdemeanor against the laws of a country, they cannot expel a subject from his own territory. Now, you, madam, by your moryanatic marriage, have become not only the wife of the king, but also the first citizen of the kingdom. That which cannot exist for a foreigner, is with much stronger reason rejected for the wife of the king. Thus, I swear to you that whatsoever the old empress may say or do, justice will be fully and duly rendered to you; and that, despite the terrible wickedness, de- spite the supreme autocracy of this sovereign.” As soon as her defender had left her, Najeska Ivanowna felt herself delivered from the horrible weight under which she had succumbed since some days. The whole community remarked with pleas- ure, (for already she had known how to win many hearts), the happy change which was operating in her. With confidence, her appetite returned. She, who since her arrival had scarcely touched the food which had been presented to her, found the frugal fare of the cloister excellent, and this evening even did great honor to it. Monsieur Klug had congratulated her upon the choice that she had made of this monastery as a re- treat. “You are thus sheltered from the malignity of your enemies, who would be very happy to cast Eomichbooks:-com