Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 324: what you’re looking at

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

316 , HER ROYAL LOVER. affianced, was then a slave to her sworn faith, and resolute to remain forever faithful to the husband whose name she was so worthily bearing. “Several times I had passionately requested her to grant me a rendezvous, but inexorable, she had rejected my prayers. Not knowing how to subdue the ardor of my desires, nor to imitate the example of that noble and pure creature, I did not hesitate to employ the only means which remained to me; that which I have not been able to obtain by persuasion I will obtain by force and subterfuge, I said to myself. I sounded Glascha. With some money I made quick work of her pretended scruples. Toward the middle of that terrible night she admitted me to the garden by the little priest’s door which you know of. With some wax she had taken the im- pression of the key which remained during the day in that entrance, and had a similar one made, so that Imight make use of it to depart. All were asleep in the palace of the embassy. Glascha and I, both equally vile, advanced in silence, retaining our breath, and, like venomous beasts, crawling in darkness. Hor a moment I almost wished to retire, but Glascha had informed me that you had taken a potion in order to sleep, and assured me that you would hear nothing. Without shoes on our feet in order to avoid the slightest noise, we arrived at the dressing-rcom of the princess. This dressing-room was only rarely locked with a key; you traversed it in order to enter your wife’s apartment, this girl had told me. ‘Remain here, crouched behind this tall Pysche,’ whispered she to me. I obeyed, and she left me. Some instants after I heard steps which were approaching; it was the princess, who came to make her toilet for the night. Her hair, Gomichooks.co nn