Penny Blood Serial Cover — page 46: what you’re looking at

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

38 ALFRED DE ROSANN. and a measure of jurisprudence which cannot be suf- ficiently appreciated. After an hour’s consultation, the jury returned to the court, and the foreman declared that the majority” was agreed to find a verdict against the prisoner ; but that the opinion was coupled with a strong recom- mendation to mercy, as there were many extenuating and even doubtful circumstances connected with the whole transaction. The judges then whispered to- gether for some time; and at length the President pronounced the definitive sentence of the court, which found De Rosann guilty of the crime laid to -his charge ; but on account of his youth, of many cir- cumstances in his favour, and of the recommendation of the jury, the severe penalty of the law, the full force of which had been demanded by the public minister, was commuted toa milder punishment ; and De Rosann was condemned to ten years’ hard labour in the criminal prisons of Brest. When the awful annunciation met his ears, the un- fortunate youth fainted in Mr. Clayton’s arms; and was borne, rather than conducted back to his dungeon in a state bordering on distraction. But the worthy uncle of Eloise whispered comfort in his ear ; he as- sured him that so far as it regarded himself, he was not only convinced of his young friend’s innocence, but that he would ever dissuade his niece from con- tracting another engagement; and he knew Mrs. Clayton’s maternal affection too well to suppose that ‘she would force her daughter’s inclination in so delicate amatter. These words considerably soothed the mind of the unfortunate Alfred ; and the kind-hearted Mr. Clayton even went so far as to promise that he would occasionally accompany Eloise to visit her lover for a few moments in his miserable cell. The gratitude of De Rosann’s wounded soul was beyond all expres- * The twelve individuals, who compose a jury, are not obliged, according to the French laws, to be unanimous in their deci- sions. A majority of two-thirds can deliver a verdict. : comicloooks., conn