Roanoke of Roanoke Hall: A Romance — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

72 Roanoke of Roanoke Hall. he, ‘‘at this distinguished condescension. Be seated, I pray you; you will doubtless find many acquaintances among the company.” . He took my hand as he spoke, and having pressed it to his lips led me with extreme ceremony to one of a circle of empty chairs which were arranged round the hearth, on | which a great fire blazed, though # was the end of August, and the weather exceeding hot. “Take heed, take heed, please you Sir Ralph !” he exclaimed, as we passed along the vacant space. ‘‘Her grace would never for- give me, or you either, should you set foot upon her train.” I took the chair he indicated, and, having casually remarked that of course I knew the Duchess of Portsmouth, he turned away and commenced an animated conversation with an unseen interlocutor whom he addressed as Sir Charles, leaving me at liberty to examine this singular scene at my leisure. -It was a large and very lofty apartment, panelled to a great height with beautifully carved oak, above which ran a border of elaborate stone tracery, which was carried oO comichbooks.com