Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 353: what you’re looking at

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

336 REYNOLDS’ WORKS the accident, that he had just come from Saxondale Castle. He therefore knew Juliana; possibly he might some day learn that he (Francis Paton) had been in Lady Saxondale’s service, and should this fact come to his knowledge, he might put two and two together, and thence arrive at the conclu- sion that Juliana herself was the heroine of the present narrative. Such was the transient fear which shot through the youth’s brain. But it was only transient, for on a second thought, he saw that it would be very difficult indeed for Mr. Hawkshaw to imbibe any such suspicion or frame any such conclusion. Frank had been speaking vaguely; he had not said that it was a lady in the same house where he was a menial, who had formed an attachment for him. But would it not appear strange that he should this day have been seen in the vicinage of Saxondale Castle? Might not this circumstance lead Mr. Hawkshaw to suspect something? Again did Frank see the perilous ground on which he had been treading, and the danger there was of seriously com- promising Miss Farefield, which he was far too generous- hearted and too magnanimous to do. He therefore at once saw the necessity of deviating somewhat from the truth of his narrative, and making it appear that the lady of whom he was speaking resided in quite a different neighbourhood. from that in which he had first encountered Mr. Hawkshaw. Such was the train of reflections which swept rapidly through the youth’s brain, and though it has required a long space to record them, yet in reality they occupied but a few moments. Mr. Hawkshaw perceiving that he paused and reflected, attributed this to the peculiar mood of his mind at the instant. “Yes,” continued Frank, “this lady of whom I am speaking gave me the utmost proof of love, and methought that it was a real love, the sincerest and the fondest. Then came a whirl of circumstances, hurrying me on to the solu- tion of the strangest destiny. I suddenly quitted the family where I was in service, I was separated from the object of my adoration, the mystery of my parentage was cleared up, I found that my preconceived suspicions were correct, my mother was a lady of quality, and more than this, I dis- covered that my father was a man of exalted rank. My fortunes changed allina moment: After years of separation, © my father and mother were brought together again. They oF Comicbooks (E(0) =)