Alfred de Rosann by G.W.M. Reynolds — page 38: what you’re looking at

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

Alfred de Rosann. 25 upon a little eminence, regardless of the cold which even made the Gendarmes, whose constitutions were better inured to hardships than his—for his appearance bespoke the gentleman—nay, more, it betrayed the rich man reared in the lap of luxury—fain to draw their mili- tary cloaks around them. But he shivered not—there was a burn- ing fire in his soul that made him indifferent to the bitterness of the morning. And he had a companion with him; but her delicate frame was carefully surrounded by the folds of an ample cloak, beneath which the graces of her person might be well conceived: for so lovely a head never belonged to a faulty form. This reasoning is scarcely correct, you will say, gentle reader ; but ideas of beauty, according to Descartes, are painted in the prantasy § and those ideas not unfre- quently 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 must have relented, had he beheld the unfeigned woe 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. It is scarcely necessary to inform the reader that these individuals were no other than the excellent-hearted Mr. Clayton, and the lovely loise. A deep silence had ensued on their part the moment that the caval- cade issued from the gates of Bicétre; and while the Gendarmes were occupied in arranging the ranks in which the squadron of criminals was formed, the weeping girl feebly waved her handkerchief to him who was the object of so much solicitude on her part, and on that of her companion, But Alfred either saw her not, or purposely hun down his head to avoid meeting her glances: and when she noticed this, her tears fell the more abundantly. A quarter of an hour elapsed ere the procession was ready to move on; and then, when many of the convicts turned round to bid farewell, as it were, to the prison behind them, De Rosann ventured to raise his eyes for an instant— they met those of Eloise and her uncle—and one expressive look pro- claimed how much her affectionate kindness was appreciated. at look spoke volumes—volumes of gratitude, of love, of sorrow, and yet of hope. Her lips moved—’twas a prayer to heaven that she offered for the welfare of the unhappy young man—and as the galley- slaves now began their doleful march, Mr. Clayton hurried his tender charge to a carriage that waited near, and they were speedily far away from the walls cf Bicétre. Meantime the chain moved onward, and soon left the sovereign city of Europe far behind. From the summit of a hill where the troop reposed fora moment, that vast assemblage of edifices was seen stretch- ing over the wide plain on which it stands like the Babylon of ancient COnicbooolks (GO)