Penny Blood Serial Cover — page 54: what you’re looking at

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

46 ALFRED DE ROSANN. “ How ?” inquired De Rosann, after a moment’s hesitation as to whether he should answer or not. “Speak in a whisper, my young bird,” returned the other, “and I shall be glad to converse with you: but if you let every ear become acquainted with the nature of our talk, I shall hold my tongue at once.” ¢¢ Well—well,’”’? muttered the youth hastily. = _ “No impatience, my dear boy—and I will stand your friend,’? said the convict with most ineffable coolness. “This is my third visit to the dagne ;* -and a man has not been there twice already without having profited by a little experience. If you mope, and cry, and look dull, the others will mistrust you ; and as they are obliged more or less to make friends of each other, they’ll very soon put you out of the way.’’ | “ They would not murder me ?”’ asked de Rosann with a shudder. ‘And why not? There are many at the bdagne who are condemned for murder: they murdered to get money, and in so doing they risked their liberty —aye, and even their heads. Well, then,’’ continued the convict, “do you think they would scruple to slit your wind-pipe, if your presence marred or interfered with an escape?” A cold sweat stood on De Rosann’s brow—an in- describable pang shot through his heart—his brain whirled—his eyes became dim. “ Come, come,”’ cried his soz-disant friend; cheer up, my good fellow—and do not give way to this fect melancholy. How long are you condemned eed “Five years,’ was the reply, in a voice almost choked with emotion. ““ And I for ten: but if I do not see the good walls of Paris once within as many months, then let Pierre Belle-Rose lose his excellent reputation for cunning and craft.”’ “Ah! how?” inquired De Rosann. a * The prisons in which the convicts are confined at Brest, Toulon, &c. Ccommicoooks. conn