Penny Blood Serial Cover — page 175: what you’re looking at

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

ALFRED DE ROSANN. 167 natural tinge to everything within its scope; and their figures, increased to gigantic stature in the de- ceptive lustre, appeared to be those of devils hover- ing round an accursed furnace, in which the souls of the damned were suffering endless torments. Presently the entire roof gave way with a hideous crash ; and for an instant the flames appeared to be totally extinguished, a thick cloud of smoke ascending in their place. ‘Then all was dark and sombre: but in a minute the fire burst forth with renewed vigour, as a combatant returns to the charge more furiously after a momentary rest. So terrible was the heat, that the farmer and his generous assistants were at length obliged to retire from the immediate vicinity of the house, having rescued nearly everything from the increasing desolation: the panes of glass melted away from their frames, and did not break ; rafters, planks, and tiles fell with appalling din; smoke min- gled with flame—staircases and floors gave way—the bare walls alone remained. Morning now dawned on the pile of ruins, and the beams of the rising sun glanced upon the devastation as if it were still the large and joyous dwelling that greeted their presence the day before. Alas! whata change had taken place in a few short hours’: a single night was sufficient to rob the unfortunate Louis Dor- val of half his little possessions. When too late, he recollected that his own carelessness must have caused the fire ; he had ascended to the loft with a candle to fetch the mattresses for Belle-Rose and De Rosann; a spark had most probably eaught the straw that was piled there in quantities ; and the ruin of his paternal dwelling might be traced to one of those combinations of circumstances over which mankind has apparently no control. Ata distance of about a hundred yards from the out-house or barn where the females had taken refuge, was situate the stable. Belle-Rose, who had worked like a slave in the cause of the farmer, and who found that he could do no more good by standing idly in the C@nnicoookxs (C@