Penny Blood Serial Cover — page 149: what you’re looking at

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

ALFRED DE ROSANN. 141 A sudden rustling amongst the trees interrupted . this conversation. Belle-Rose listened for a moment —the noise continued—-and his experienced ear told him that it was caused by the footsteps of aman. He caught hold of De Rosann’s arm, and whispered his Suspicions in as low a tone of voice as possible: but the sudden alarm so terrified the-mind of our hero, that he started up from the bank on which they were seated, and advanced several paces towards the out- side of the wood, ere he was stopped by his companion. This unguarded conduct on the part of De Rosann, instead of betraying them to a foe, proved of consider- able benefit: for the disturbance their movements had made amongst the dead leaves strewed upon the - ground, apparently alarmed the individual who hed first terrified them; and in an instant they heard him retreating into the thickest recesses of the wood, with a speed which nothing but an extreme terror could have occasioned. | “That is no Gendarme,’’ cried Belle-Rose, laughing heartily. “But he may be the convict for whom the guns . fired a third time,’’ returned De Rosann. “ Very probably; and if so, I am glad he has failed to encounter us; for we could not have easily refused the poor devil the pleasure of travelling in our society; and that would have disorganized all our plans, as well as have endangered our personal security. but it is now some time since the sun has set: let us hasten and conclude our first day’s march.’’ Belle-Rose and our hero accordingly emerged from the wood, which had stood them in such. friendly need, and pursued their journey across the open fields. A clear moon soon showed its chaste disk, and a cloud- less sky, spangled with a thousand stars, was above their heads. No danger was to be dreaded as to Belle- Rose missing his way: the whole country was better known to him than a private estate is to its owner. Everything appeared to favour their flight and to in- - spire them with courage; and if De Rosann occasion-= CloOOkKS =) CO (C@