Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 381: what you’re looking at

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

364 REYNOLDS’ WORKS of her charms upon Francis Paton, but at the same time not to do this in a manner that should be noticed by the guests generally; for if in the long run she should either lose Frank, or else come to the conclusion that Mr. Hawk- shaw was the preferable match, she did not wish to stand a chance of alienating the latter. But there are a thousand and one ways in which an artful and designing woman can play the game of witchery and fascination unperceived by those around. A tender glance quickly darted and as quickly withdrawn, a gentle pressure of the hand, a half- stifled sigh, to be heard only by him whose ears it is specially intended to reach, and that momentary fond clinging which the routine of the dance allows, — these are the means by which the artful fair one may, under such circumstances, conduct the campaign against the object of her wiles. Frank saw it all, felt it all, but could not comprehend it all. Did she really love him? Did she regret the scene of yester- day? Was she making as much amends as, without too much self-prostration of her own pride, she could possibly offer? Ought he to pardon the circumstances of the previous day? Ought he to make allowances for them, considering her position? In a word, what ought he to do? What ought he to think? He was bewildered, and he was too young, as well as having been but too recently under the spells of this dangerous woman, to remain insensible to those pres- sures of the hand, those tender looks, those softly subdued sighs, those transient but raptured clingings to him in the mazes of the dance. And it was not all acting nor simulation on Juliana’s part, for, as the reader is aware, she did love this beautiful youth, — that is to say, loved him after the fashion of her own sensuous nature, and at all events it was a strong passion on her part. But at length the dance was done; the couples promenaded around the room, and Frank conducted Juliana into the adjacent one. Thither they strolled without the appearance of premeditated design, and as any others might have done. No one was there; they passed into the conservatory, and here likewise they were alone. We should observe that Miss Farefield was dressed for the present occasion in a style of simple elegance. She was arrayed in white, for the olive of her skin was of that delicate and transparent tint which rendered this virgin attire per- Gomicbooks ((0)