A Parisian Romance — page 118: what you’re looking at

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

‘A PARISIAN ROMANCE. 109 smooth complexion with the warm blood mantling beneath the skin and the firm, strong poise of her figure, he was thinking that he had rarely, if ever, seen such a magnificent specimen of pure, physical health. Mentally he knew her to be healthy also, keen-witted, with plenty of hard common sense, and quite capable of holding her own against the blandishments of the gilded youth who fluttered about her like moths about a candle, and with some- thing of the same result. “Are you still determined to have no mercy on this poor heart of mine?” asked the baron, insinu- atingly.” y «Still harping on my daughter?’” quoted Rosa, laughingly. “How many times must I tell you, my dear baron, that it is my fixed resolution never to accept a heart without the hand?” “Bah!” ejaculated the baron. “How about the late Monsieur Colombieres, my dear girl.” “You are very rude, and that allusion is, to say the least, indelicate. You know very well that we were to have been married.” “Yes, but the prospect did not save his life.” Rosa made a grimace, and pretended to strike him with the handle of her parasol. “Did you ever see such a brute, doctor?” she ex- claimed. “If we were not such good friends, I should be very angry. Seriously, baron,” she con- tinued, turning to Chevrial, “how can you expect me to believe you when you make me such absurd Gomicbookssco m