The King's Talisman — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

20 THE KING’S TALISMAN. CHAPTER ITI. STARTLING DEVELOPMENTS OF REGAL PLOTTING. Darkness had succeeded to day, when Noureddin and his guides entered the palace, and after waiting a short time, the youth wasconducted into the king’s presence. Modad sat upon an easy lounge of crimson and gold, raised upon a platform of ivory porphyry, with no attendants save two mutes, who stood one on each side of him. The atmos- phere of the apartment was laden with the richest perfumes, and the monarch himself gave evident signs of the perfect. abandon to which he resigned himself. At a sign from the king, the eunuchs who had conducted Noureddin to the palace withdrew, and the youth was motioned forward. For several moments the king gazed upon the noble form of the young man before him, as though he sought to read his character from his looks, and once or twice a sort of shudder passed through Modad’s frame, as he met the ° keen, bold glance of the subject. Noureddin noticed his -monarch’s manner, arid a vague idea of some sinister designs — insinuated itself upon his mind; but fear was a stranger to — his bosom, and banishing all needless surmises, he fastened his gaze steadily upon the king. ‘You are the son of Ali Kinah?” said the king, at length, and after he had sufficiently recognized the youth. “Tam, my king,” returned Noureddin, in a firm and manly tone. : The monarch started from his lounge, and the mutes in- stinctively laid their hands upon the hilts of their yata- ghans. Noureddin dropped his hand upon his sword-haft, but he moved not. Modad settled back into his former (EON AAEl oxeye) S (Ee)