The King's Talisman — page 114: what you’re looking at

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

THE KING’S TALISMAN. 105 his course. He was resolved to pursue his way with im- punity, and to accomplish the destruction of all who might stand in his path. But little dreamed the monarch of the power that was working against him, though, in fact, he feared much. At about a stone’s throw from the Petran market-place, on the opposite side of the stream that watered the city, stood a small stone building, which was now become the audience place of the censors. The day had crept far into its evening, and one by one, or in small parties, numbers of the citizens had been passing in and out for the last hour. Upon a stone near the door sat anold woman, habited ina coarse gown of reeds, while naught but the long, matted hair that fell in gray masses over her shoulders, served as a covering of her head. She appeared to take little notice of those who passed,. but yet she knew full well the character ofeach, for though her head was bent to the ground, yet her sharp eye was constantly peering out from beneath the mass of hair that hid it. Many of the citizens stopped and asked her what she waited for, and some offered her alms; but to the former she replied that she only rested her wearied limbs, while to the latter she gave a simple word of refusal. | At length a form whose features were almost entirely con-_ cealed from sight by the yellow mantle that was pulled up over the head, approached the building with a cautious tread. The old woman gave a sudden start, and removing the hair further aside from her eye, she eagerly scrutinized the enveloped form. She seemed to be satisfied with the survey, for no sooner had the object of her interest entered the door-way, than she arose from her position and crossed over to the bridge, whereshe again seated herself. Meanwhile the individual referred to passed on to the room of audience, and took a seat as far removed as possible from Eomichbooks (Efe)