Alfred de Rosann — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

ALFRED DE ROSANN. | 67 Clayton. It was in answer to the one Alfred had written to him the day of his arrival in London; and it expressed the worthy uncle’s surprise at so sudden a change in the youth’s resolution of proceeding to Paris. It was, however, full of protestations of friend- ship, and of hope. Mr. Clayton said that Eloise was in good health, and desired to be most kindly remem- _ bered; and that if De Rosann did not soon return to France, he would allow her to write a few lines in his next letter. Our hero was overjoyed at these favour- able tidings; and he almost forgot the second despatch, that lay unopened upon the table, in the wildness of his delight. At length his eye caught sight of the neg- lected epistle, the contents of which ran as follow :— ‘“T understand you have effected your escape, and that you are in London, despite of my injunctions to persuade you to return straight to this city. Fortu- nately your disobedience of orders which unseen powers spoke through the medium of my lips, has not as yet prejudiced you in the favour of your supe- riors and mine. but you must not desert the cause you have embarked in; you must be watchful and vigilant, awaiting the moment when your services will be required. . ‘These words may probably arouse your conjec- tures as to the nature of the service alluded to, and the means whereby you are to discover the arrival of the exact period at which you will be called upon to act. With regard to the former, I am myself unable to draw away the mystic veil that covers gigantic re- - sources and designs: with regard to the latter, you - must continually reside in Paris, and time itself will teach you how to act, and show what duties you are destined to perform. 7 ‘¢The authorities of the Chancellerie* were dread- fully enraged at your escape from the galleys, because your sentence had been so indulgently commuted by the merciful disposition, as they expressed themselves, * The abode and offices of the Minister of J ustice. S} ‘ (©) SS (C@ Ghoo