Alfred de Rosann — page 139: what you’re looking at

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

130 - ALFRED DE ROSANN. linquished the burning hand that was clasped in his, and rushed out of the room, glad to escape the severe necessity of beholding Selina’s wo, of which he him- self was the innocent cause. De Rosann had ordered the post-chaise to be ready at ten o’clock on the following morning. He packed up his various papers with the most particular atten- tion, arranged everything ready for his departure, and lay down to rest—but not to sleep. At one moment the image of Selina haunted his fancy ; and at another the anticipated happiness he promised him- self on his arrival at St. Malo, drove away all incli- nation to slumber. It was not till nearly daylight that he closed his eyes in forgetfulness of his present — good fortune and his past miseries ; perhaps even then they followed him in his dreams. When he awoke, he found a waiter of the hotel standing by his bed-side with a letter in his hands. Our hero hastily tore it open ; he recognised the hand- writing of Leblond, and as speedily perused its contents, which obliged him to counter-order the post-chaise for a few hours. Leblond’s epistle was short, and neither welcome nor disagreeable. It merely stated, that as De Rosann would doubtless quit London immediately, even if he had not already left, he might call at a certain mercantile house in _the city, and take charge of a considerable sum of money, in bills of exchange and cheques upon Paris, which Leblond gave him authority to receive. This sum was doubtless destined for the service of those invisible powers whose intrigues extended even to a foreign land ; and De Rosann did not hesitate a mo- ment what course to pursue. Leblond declared he should have mentioned the circumstance in his letter which accompanied the king’s pardon, and which Alfred had received the day before, had it not slipped his memory as he wrote in a hurry. He concluded al “ P we Pay " i. ~~ > _—e by desiring our hero not to linger more than possible - on his journey to Paris, and to call at the Rue de la Chanpoinesse the moment he arrived in that city. (C©) =) a JOOKSTGOM