Her Royal Lover: A Novel — page 67: what you’re looking at

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

HER ROYAL LOVER. 59 proper person to fill well the mission which he was going to entrust to her. Thus, according to him, this young girl could by a little diplomacy obtain the ennoblement of her betrothed if the beautiful ambassadress would interest herself in it with the king, and by some questions asked adroitly by her, keep Heiligenthal au courant with the habits of the princess. Walpurga remained quite a long time with Najes- ka Ivanowna; they conversed on different subjects, skimming all lightly with wit and gayety, but by neither one was the name of Heiligenthal men- tioned. On the same afternoon, Waldemar came to pre- sent his homages to the princess. There were already several persons in the draw- ing-rooms of the embassy when he was introduced there; this contretemps, so contrary to his wishes, was a relief to the terrors of the trembling Najeska Ivanowna, who did not apprehend anything as long as she was not alone with this rash young man. Notwithstanding his determination to weary every one by avisit prolonged beyond the limits of the most ordinary propriety, Waldemar was compelled to retire when, toward four o’clock, Mineleko, enter- ing in the drawing-room, came to remind the am- bassadress that some official visits, that could not by any pretext be deferred, demanded their attention. The princess, after having graciously dismissed her guests, to whom she expressed many regrets at being obliged to leave them, departed with her hus- band for the receptions at which they were ex- pected. On returning at home, her astonishment was great when she found on a piece of furniture in her (E(@) mm (@ JOO KS (E(0)