Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 191: what you’re looking at

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

174 REYNOLDS’ WORKS was engaged. To that abode did Mrs. Burnaby repair with the infant, on whom the name of Elizabeth Paton was bestowed. ‘After this event the Marquis of Hagledean quitted England, with Alexandrina’s full concurrence, for they found that, considering the strength of their mutual love, such separation was necessary for her honour and security. But this parting was indeed most painful, and required all their strength of mind for its accomplishment. For six years did the marquis remain on the Continent, chiefly in Franee, but at the expiration of that time business com- pelled him to return to England. He believed that he had so far conquered the romantic ardour of his love for Alex- andrina, that they might now meet as friends. He wrote to her, and she expressed in reply a similar opinion. They did meet, and for some short time they exercised so powerful a control over their feelings that they never touched upon the topic of their love. And yet they both knew that they | were standing again upon the edge of a precipice; they both felt that so far from time having mitigated the fervour of their devotion toward each other, it continued unextinguish- able, immitigable. It was a deathless sentiment, triumph- ing over time, defying the lapse of years, interwoven with the very principles of their existence. “General Lord Everton was still absent in India, where his presence was required. He was amassing wealth, he was gathering fresh laurels, and yet his work, either for his country or himself, appeared to be only half-done, for his letters contained no intimation of the probability of an early return to England. If ever there were extenuation for female frailty, surely it existed for Lady Everton under all those circumstances! The man whom she was forced to accompany to the altar had been for years absent, while that other man to whom her heart’s first and only affections were given was once more present, and the opportunities for their meeting were frequent. They were again culpable; again did Lady Everton find herself in a condition to become a mother; and again, with the assistance of Mrs. Burnaby and the others who were in the former secret, was a child born. This was in the year 1826. The infant was conveyed away to the cottage, and on him the name of Francis Paton was bestowed. Gomicbooks: co