Alfred de Rosann — page 48: what you’re looking at

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

ALFRED DE ROSANN. 7 39 small fire, which had been lighted to give the apart- ment an air of cheerfulness, as the shutters were closed, and the lamps were already placed upon the table. Mr. Robson welcomed our hero with a frank- ness and cordiality which proved how religiously Belle-Rose had maintained the conditions of the com- pact to which De Rosann was disagreeably obliged by circumstances to assent. Alfred was then presented to Mrs. and the Misses Robson. He would gladly have sought an opportunity of questioning the banker alone for five minutes relative to that gentleman’s interview and proceedings with Belle-Rose; but politeness, and the entrance of two other guests, obliged him to restrain his curiosity. «M. Lebrun is invariably late,’? remarked Mr. Robson, consulting his watch, and manifesting the venial impatience of a host who is fearful that the dinner may be spoilt, or of a man of business whose appetite has been sharpened by an intense application to his affairs. . “Ah! do you expect Lebrun?” inquired a little gentleman with a vast appendage of gold seals to his watch-chain. | ‘The entertaining Frenchman that speaks broken English, and that I often meet at your house, Mr. Rob- son, do you mean?” asked the other visiter, whose nose was adorned with an immense pair of silver spectacles. ‘The same,”? returned Mr. Robson. ‘T heard a rumour upon ’Change to-day, relative to yourself and Lebrun,”’ said he of the seals, address- ing himself to Mr. Robson. ‘TIndeed!. I wish he would make his appearance! But what did you hear, Mr. Goldsmith?’ inquired the banker. «That you and the Frenchman were about to form a partnership,’ was the reply. ‘¢There is some truth in it,’? returned Mr. Robson: then seeing that De Rosann was unable to take a part in their conversation, he said to him in French, “I do 0)(0)(0) (C@) = a 5 (E@)