Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

THE THOROUGHBREDS 3 adopted, first to captivate and afterward to secure Mr. Hawkshaw’s heart, she talked to him of nothing else but his favourite steed. “ Pray, Harold,” said Florina, taking her brother’s arm, “do not attempt anything rash. Do not, I beseech you! An accident so soon occurs.”’ ‘““ How is it, Flo,’ inquired Staunton, “ that you are so very anxious concerning me all of a sudden? ”’ “ How can you talk in this manner, Harold?” said his sister, gazing up at him reproachtully as she walked by his side. ‘Oh, I thought you were rather cool to me yesterday after my return, and likewise this morning. [ did not know, however,” continued Staunton, “‘ in what way I had offended you wits oo “But whatsoever amount of offence you might give me, Harold,” interrupted his sister, ‘I should still be anxious concerning you, all the same, and therefore I beg that you will undertake nothing rash. Of course I am no judge of horses, but it seems to me that Mr. Hawkshaw’s is very spirited, and that it is one which only a person accustomed to ride it, and who therefore knows it weli, ought to attempt any bold feat with.” | “ Well, my dear Flo,” returned Harold, carelessly, “ we shall see all about it presently. Pray don’t alarm yourself beforehand.” Lady Saxondale and Lady Macdonald had followed at a little distance, and were conversing on the same subject, the former being to all appearances quite as averse as the latter that Staunton should take so daring a leap with a steed which he had never ridden before. In a few minutes the palings skirting the park were reached, and a halt was made. There was a very high gate in that boundary, and this was the one which Mr. Hawkshaw proposed to leap. Juliana raised her eyes toward him with a look of tenderness and alarm, so that the squire could scarcely refrain from bending down and giving utterance to a few words expressive of his rapture at the interest which she thus demonstrated on his behalf. Yet he did restrain himself, because the period which he had prescribed for courtship ere avowing his passion had not yet passed; but then, he looked all he would have said, and the eloquence Gomichdoo eS (FO)