Penny Blood Serial Cover — page 160: what you’re looking at

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

152 ALFRED DE ROSANN. enclosure speedily aroused the attention of the in- mates. “ Silence, Azor—silence!”? cried the voice of a man who issued from the farm-house; and in a mo- ment the faithful animal ceased his discordant howl- ing. ‘Two travellers claim your hospitality for the night; and where they meet with a friendly welcome, they are not ungrateful,” cried Belle-Rose, as the man approached the gate of the railing, and seemed to hesitate whether he should open it or not. But the frank and unsophisticated manner in which Pierre had uttered the above demand and assurance in the same breath, the respectable appearance of our hero and his companion, as far as could_be judged in an uncertain light, and the naturally kind disposition of the farmer—for he it was in person—terminated his doubts in favour of the two travellers, and the gate flew open to give them admittance. Introduced to the interior of the dwelling, neither De Rosann nor Belle-Rose were sorry to see a large fire burning on the ample hearth; for although the chilly season of the year had passed, still the nights were far from warm, and the damp air imparted a shivering sensation to those who were long exposed to it. , } “ Messieurs,’’ said the farmer, when he had once ' more shut and barred the front door, “ you are as welcome to all my poor dwelling affords as if you were my own brothers. But I am afraid things will not be quite so comfortable as I could wish; for my wife is ill in bed with a fever—and a man, you know, makes but a sorry housekeeper.” | . “No apology is necessary,’ returned De Rosann, drawing his stool closer to the fire; “a mouthful of bread is all that we require; for I fancy we are not more fatigued than hungry.”’ “I do not mean to say that I have got nothing*but dry bread,’’ rejoined the farmer with a smile, as he opened a cupboard from which he took cold ham, a Gomicbooks (C@ ee ’