Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 298: what you’re looking at

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

WILLIAM AND ANGELA | 281 as I will presently explain—I should have done much more for Florina, whereby you, William, would have been benefited. Ah! now I perceive that you both are simulta- neously struck with the same suspicion, you have penetrated the secret I was about to reveal to your ears, you see that I am no longer plain and humble Mr. Gunthorpe — ’”’ “No, my lord,’’ said William Deveril, ‘‘ you are — you must be — the Marquis of Eagledean himself.”’ As he thus spoke, our young hero rose from his chair with a feeling of profound respect toward that good noble- man, while, on the other side, Angela sank upon her knees, and, taking his hand, murmured, ‘‘ My lord, we cannot love or revere you more than if you had remained as we had hitherto known you.”’ “ My dear young friends,’’ exclaimed the marquis, com- pelling William to resume his seat on one side, and Angela to rise from her knees on the other, “‘ 1 have studied the excellence of your dispositions, I have marked the purity oi your lives, and even if my duty toward my niece Florina - had not impelled me to bestow a fortune to enable her to become your wife, William, I should nevertheless have given yourself and your amiable sister a proof of my regard. And now listen to me, while I relate many strange things, for I purpose to keep no secrets from you, as henceforth you will be welcome and honoured guests at my dwelling, and theré are beings beneath that roof to whom I long to present you.”’ The Marquis of Eagledean then proceeded to relate the history of his love for Lady Everton, and most of those de- tails which are already known to the reader. But we need scarcely observe that he did not draw aside the veil from those lamentable circumstances which entered into the past career of his daughter Elizabeth Paton; and with these exceptions, he recapitulated all the facts fea eit have occu- pied so many of the previous chapters of our narrative. William and Angela listened with feelings of the deepest interest, and when the marquis had concluded, they proffered their congratulations on his altered position in life now that he had found two children whom he loved, and was on the eve of being united to the object of his frat and only affections. “ William,” continued the marquis, “ dase: is one more GoOmicdoo <S (F©)