Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 369: what you’re looking at

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

doO2 REYNOLDS’ WORKS had therefore armed himself with all his presence of mind, all his coolness, all his self-possession, in order to meet the crisis, whenever it should arrive, in a becoming manner. On the other hand, Mr. Hawkshaw — as we have already seen in his conversation with Mr. Denison — did not wish it to be generally known at once that he was engaged to Juliana; he had remained a bachelor long enough to dread the sly jokes and bantering jests of his friends at the approach- ing change in his condition. He therefore had made up his mind not to rush forward with a marked and pointed eager- ness to greet Juliana when she should make her appearance. And now Lady Saxondale, accompanied by her daughter, and escorted by Mrs. Denison, entered the saloon, after the above-described little scene in the anteroom. The mother was, as usual, invested with that well-bred but graceful dignity which sat upon her like a superb mantle elegantly worn, and no one who looked upon her exceeding handsome counte- nance would for an instant suppose that on entering that briliantly lighted suite of apartments she had experienced the minutest incident calculated to excite her vexation or her alarm. As for Juliana, she likewise was collected and self-possessed to all outward appearance, reflecting the calm and high-bred dignity, mingled with the graceful ease and elegance which characterized her mother; but her heart was fluttering and palpitating, not through any lingering apprehensions on account of Francis Paton’s presence there, but at the idea of meeting him again so unexpectedly and under such unaccountable circumstances. “Here are Lady Saxondale and her daughter,’ observed Sir John Knightley, with whom Frank and Mr. Hawkshaw were conversing at the moment. ‘“ Ah!” said Frank, affecting just that degree of interest which might be supposed to be excited by the mention of a name of no small consequence in the county, “ that is Lady Saxondale? ”’ “Yes, and the other is the Honourable Miss Farefield,” rejoined Sir John. ‘ Do they not look more like sisters than mother and daughter? ”’ “Take care, Knightley, what you are saying,” observed Lord Blackwater, in a jocular tone, and with a sly glance toward Hawkshaw. ‘ The squire is smitten in that quarter, you know.”’ Gomicbooks (E(0) 3