Penny Blood Serial Cover — page 152: what you’re looking at

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

144 - ALFRED DE ROSANN. would visit the cottage at that time of night, and begged him not to give way to his alarms. Theodore had taken the precaution of closing the door after him; and as there was a large screen drawn between it and the table, on one side of the fire-place, the visiter, whoever he might be, could not possibly catch a glimpse of the inmates of the room. In about a minute the peasant returned, laughing so heartily, that tears ran down his cheeks. “For God’s sake let us share the joke!”’ cried Belle- Rose. ‘He must be a rare witty fellow, that,’’ stammered Theodore, unable to restrain his mirth. ‘“‘ O what a proposition! Can you fancy, my friends—a man who implores my hospitality—and such hospitality as he solicits—Oh! Oh!”’ ‘¢ A supper and a bed, to be sure,’’ exclaimed Belle- Rose. 3 “¢ Yes—a piece of dry bread for supper—there is no harm in that: but the bed—all he wants is the pigstye!”’ A roar of laughter followed this explanation, and Belle-Rose declared his intention of introducing the man whose ambition soared no higher than a pigstye fora couch. But just as he was about to raise the latch, a sudden idea struck him, and he retraced his steps towards the table. “Do you know, my friends,’’. said he with a seri- ous air, “ that the request of this nocturnal visiter is somewhat singular? It strikes me he is the convict for whose flight the guns fired the third time this morning. At all events, let us be upon our guard; and‘ it does not suit myself nor my comrade to as- sociate with the fugitive, if it be he, you, Theodore, had better accede to his request: give him a bed in an outhouse—’’ “There is none.” “Well, in the pigstye, then, since that cleanly tenement can content him; and we will send the poor Gomichbooksrco