Penny Blood Serial Cover — page 51: what you’re looking at

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

ALFRED DE ROSANN. 43 unusual sorrows. It would almost seem that our ex- istence is now and then marked by moments in which we can say to our imaginations, “ Ponder on this evil which has befallen us, and on naught be- sides.”” And how faithfully—Oh! far too faithfully are we obeyed! So it appeared to be with the indi- vidual we are describing. That manly form stood erect upon a little eminence, regardless of the cold which even made the Gendarmes, whose constitutions were better inured to hardships than his—for his ap- pearance bespoke the gentleman—nay, more, it be- trayed the rich man reared in the lap of luxury—fain to draw their military cloaks around them. But he shivered not—there was a burning fire in his sou! that made him indifferent to the bitterness of the morning. And he had a companion with him; but fev deli- cate frame was carefully surrounded by the folds of an ample cloak, beneath which the graces of her per- son might be well conceived: for so lovely a head never belonged to a faulty form. This reasoning 1s scarcely correct, you will say, gentle reader; but ideas of beauty, according to Descartes, are painted in the phantasy ; and those ideas not unfrequently make the philosopher himself forget his logic, and write at random : in this case, however, it will be found that our assertions were not rashly hazarded. The dark blue eyes of this beautiful creature were suffused in tears; and her whole countenance wore the appearance of despair. There was no possibility of mistaking the heart-rending expression of her lips apart, of her head moving, as frequent sighs agitated her bosom, and of her quickly repeated sobs. A misanthrope would have wept at that distressing spectacle; the man-hater of Athens musthaverelented, had he beheld the unfeigned wo of so young and fair a person. But no description can convey to the mind of the reader a competent idea of her intense agony; the support she derived from the right arm of her companion alone prevented her from falling. COMME OOKS.EO