Alfred de Rosann — page 122: what you’re looking at

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

ALFRED DE ROSANN. 113 mate even her countenance with radiant joy. This being,” continued our hero, not daring to look towards Selina, “is engaged to me by the most solemn and unchangeable vows ; her heart is devotedly attached to him whose soul is entirely wrapped up in her. She is an angel of beauty, of chastity, and innocence—a maiden whose pure mind, like your’s, Miss Robson, is unacquainted with guile—” | A convulsive sob interrupted this fervent but well- merited panegyric of the charms and the character of Eloise: De Rosann sprung hastily from his chair, and cursed his rashness in thus precipitately entering upon so tender a subject. Selina was white as mar- ~ble—despair was depicted upon her countenance— not even the gigantic efforts of feminine modesty, reserve, and pride, could conceal the violence of her emotions—her bosom heaved convulsively—tears ran down her pale cheeks—her whole frame was sud- denly paralysed with a sorrow—with a blow that made her motionless. At length she exerted all her force, recalled the small remnants of her broken courage, and hastily left the room. De Nosann did not offer to detain her: he stood petrified by the chair she had just left, uncertain how to act, undecided what * course to pursue. ; For five minutes did he thus reniain in an attitude of pensiveness and thought, without having resolved -upon taking any step: to divest himself of the embar- rassment of an unpleasant situation. In the midst of his reflections, the door of the apartment opened gently; and Selina again entered the room. Her face had lost nothing of its pallor—a deep melancholy had taken the place of the despairing expression it ere now had worn—and a forced, an unnatural tranquil- lity—a terrible calmness which made our hero shud- der—betrayed the violence she was obliged to do her acutest feelings and sensibility. As she drew near to the spot where De Rosann was standing, stupified at the remarkable change ten minutes had been sufficient to work in the manners and the aspect of that young 10* CEOPNICLOOOKS (E@)