Penny Blood Serial Cover — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

6 ALFRED DE ROSANN. husband became acquainted with them; and being naturally of a kind disposition, she called upon Ma- dame d’Estelle, and volunteered her services in thesick room. An acquaintance, that was thus commenced under. circumstances. peculiarly interesting, though sad, soon ripened into a firm friendship ; and the two families associated with each other on terms of per- fect intimacy. M. d’Estelle had one secret only un- revealed to Mr. Clayton—and that was his real name and rank; but the worthy surgeon never intruded ~ upon the private thoughts of the noble Frenchman, nor even hinted at the cause of his sorrows. Months passed away, and the health of Madame d’Estelle declined daily. At last ber sufferings were brought to a termination: the cankering worm of dis- ease had bitten a vital part; and the hand of death claimed its victim. We will draw a veil over the grief of a bereaved husband—we will not detail the sorrow of his friends—the kind sympathy they of- fered, nor the consolation it afforded. No pomp, no vain ostentation were displayed at the departed lady’s funeral; the mourners were few, but they were sin- cere; the sighs, that were heaved above her tomb, and the tears which were dropped upon the black cof- fin, were as free from hypocrisy as the mind of an infant 1s from corruption. M. d’Estelle bore his loss with the fortitude of a noble mind, and determined to exert himself in fa- vour of his daughter. He accordingly accepted the kind invitation of Mr. Clayton, and removed to that gentleman’s house, in order to give his child an oppor- tunity of receiving an almost maternal attention at the hands of Mrs. Clayton, who soon became as fond of the interesting Eloise as of her own children. Her husband noticed this increasing tenderness, and was rather pleased than annoyed at its progress; for his humane disposition taught him to commiserate the helpless little being whom a father could not rear with the same facility asa mother or one supplying that - mother’s place. The two boys vied with each other commicloooks, conn