Penny Blood Serial Cover — page 125: what you’re looking at

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

ALFRED DE ROSANN. 1] cow dl f of the winds. They then formed a small opening amongst them, and placed him in the midst, to respond ~ to their interrogatories. At first he answered not, being half dead.with fear and the bruises he had _re- ceived; but a violent blow from the rough hand of the spokesman speedily aroused him to a sense of his predicament, and drew prompt replies from his lips. It was as easy for him to refuse to obey, as for an in- fant to combat the will of a giant. “ You offspring of the devil,” began the spokesman, in the name of the rest, “ answer me truly: was Fran- cois guilty of the crime that sent him to the scaffold?”’ “‘ No—no—he was innocent!’’ screamed the youth, veiling his face with his hands, and sobbing bitterly. ‘¢ And who should have suffered in his place ?”’ “ J—myself—for I alone was culpable.” ‘You murdered the inspector, villain?” “| did—I did : oh ! God, forgive me !”? and Edou- ard’s agony was expressed in groans and sighs that would have excited the commiseration of any save his present auditors. “ And the broken knife ?’? continued the interroga- tor sharply. ‘It was borrowed for me, and I afterwards trans- ferred the handle to Francois’ pocket.” ‘As for the murder, I] can understand that easily enough,’ pursued the convict, who had taken upon himself the office of interlocutor, with a brutal affec- - tation of jocularity; “ but I scarcely comprehend how and wherefor you could become the executioner.” “IT was wearied and afraid of. your reproaches,”’ replied Edouard in a faint voice, “for having given my testimony against one who was always kind to me: and the prospect of being exempt from labour, and of being apart from the other convicts, induced me to volunteer my services to the Governor.”’ ‘Infamous wretch ! it would do me good to cut your hard heart out of your body,”’ thundered the convict, accompanying his detestable speech with a severe blow on the youth’s cheek, CO mM (C 0)(0)(6) S (C@