Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 307: what you’re looking at

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

HER ROYAL LOVER. 299 and legitimate when the formalities exacted by the code have been complied with. Jurisprudence only admits of divorce in very grave and very rare cir- cumstances, that, as lawyers, we must scrupulously inquire into, without being permitted just to per- sonally estimate them.” “ And, outside of adultery, what are those circum- stances?” “For example, if one of the contracting parties had concealed some legal impediments, or had mar- ried with irregular papers. But, such is not the case, since one of the parties is the king, who, as the head of his kingdom, must be acquainted with the laws of his country and submit to them, and the other party, a princess, ex-ambassadress, whose eminent family and antecedents are so well known.” “In any case, we demand that the court adjourns its decision upon the question of expulsion, and we count that it will give us sufficient time to make the researches necessary to the winning of our cause.” After these words the king and the empress, salut- ing Monsieur Haller, gave him to understand that the audience was terminated. Scarcely had the chief of the supreme tribunal gone out than the empress, fastening her angry eyes upon her son-in-law, said: “Ah! well! are you caught fast enough? My God! my God! in what a labyrinth you have cast your- self! How will you extricate yourself? Iam cu- rious to know,” the arrogant old woman scornfully said, who, author of the evil, was now constituting herself a judge. The poor king, not departing from the passive role which he had imposed on himself, preserved a re- signed silence. comicbook