Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 294: what you’re looking at

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

WILLIAM AND ANGELA 207 statuesque contours of her full and graceful form are devel- oped, while at the same time they are concealed, by the costume which now clothes them. Her shining dark hair falls in massive tresses upon the softly rounded shoulders; her eyes, so large and dark, beam with the holiest lustre of purity and innocence. Bright as are those regards, yet are they full of a virginal chastity, for hers were looks which angels themselves might bend upon earth from the sunny regions of heaven. It needed but a single glance at Angela Deveril to convince the beholder that virtue had chosen her fair bosom as a temple wherein to establish its home, and that the purity of her thoughts had not been marred by her contact with the theatrical sphere. We said that the brother and sister were conversing cheerfully, and it was so. For was not William now happy in his love for the beauteous Florina Staunton? And was not Angela happy at the success which thus promised to crown her brother’s highest aspirations? She herself knew not what love was. She had never known it, — nought beyond the love which she had experienced for her parents, and which she felt for her brother; but to that other love which glowed in his heart toward Florina, and which Florina reciprocated so tenderly and so devotedly, the unsophisti- cated Angela was utterly a stranger. She however saw that it was potent to produce happiness or misery, and now that it was creative of the former feeling in respect to her brother, she rejoiced that she should know it and acknowledge its empire. But let us listen to some part of the conversation which is taking place between them. “It is close upon nine o’clock,’’ said William, looking at his watch, “ and our kind friend Mr. Gunthorpe is always punctual.”’ “ What think you, dear William, that he can mean,” _asked Angela, “‘ by that expression in his note of yesterday which bade us prepare for some strange revelations in respect to himself? ”’ “I cannot conceive, sweet sister,’’ responded our hero. “ But this I do know, and am rejoiced at, that in the same letter he emphatically repeated the assurance he gave me a little while ago, that you were to bid adieu to the stage.” “ Ah, is he not benevolent? Is he not good?” exclaimed , Gomicdoo SS (CO)