Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 319: what you’re looking at

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

HER ROYAL LOVER. : 311 Strongly impressed by this ruin which was his work, Heiligenthal endeavored to conceal the emo- tion which, despite himself, was convulsing his whole being. “You have asked for me, prince?” said he, in a stifled voice, while approaching the bed on which the dying man was lying. Then a strange, weak voice, which he did not recognize, responded to him, in a hoarse rattle: “Yes, I desire to converse with you while—while strength yet remains to me.” With his bloodless hand he made a gesture. Gariatinski and the nurse, understanding him, re- tired. When the two men were alone the voice of the dying men resumed: “]T desire—I desire to converse with you of a cer- tain night in May of the year 188-, on the morrow of which the corpse of my poor Kassan was found strangled in my garden. You know that the police have never been able to discover the criminal nor to raise the least corner of the vail which enshrouds . this mystery. You, however, perhaps, may be able to explain it.” And the eyes of the dying man fastened them- selves upon Heiligenthal as if he wished to pierce him through and through. “That night it seemed to me that I had a terrible dream. A man had introduced himself in the apart- ment of the Princess de Mineleko. You see that my moments are numbered. It is a dying man who prays you to confess all to him as to a confessor.” A terrible cough shook the unfortunate man whom these few words had fatigued; his voice ceased, a slight red foam ascended to the corner of his lips, then the blood issuing in floods inundated the hand- Eomicbooks