Beadle's Dime Novels No. 14 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

THE SECOND COUSIN. 23 now, and it would increase very much if you endured the jar of riding nine or ten miles, Let your mind and body both rest, but do not be afraid that you are troubling us. We are glad to have you back, though we are sorry for your misfor- tune.” “Do not call it a misfortune, then,” said Pennon, quite gayly. “I ought to be content if you are, It is not every bruised or wounded mortal that can be nursed in a place like this.” Clematis brought him his dinner with her own hands. After that she read to him an hour in Tennyson’s “ Princess,” and then left him to slumber for awhile. She felt very sorry for the pain he endured, but she was happy to serve him, and light-hearted in the thought that she could confer pleasure. There was company to tea. Some relatives of Mr. Percy had come to spend a fortnight with him. There was an aunt, a rather coarse-looking woman, tall as a grenadier, who wore a dark-green lutestring dress, a black silk apron, and three little twists of curls down either of her hollow cheeks. Pen- non almost shuddered at her voice, for he was fastidious about “a low, sweet voice in woman,” and hers was loud and creak- ing. He surmised that she had some kindness, if she could only have her own way about showing it, in her self-willed heart. She was accompanied by her son, a young gentleman of about twenty-two, who was away during a vacation from his college, and had come to see “if his cousin Clematis had grown as pretty as she promised.” He had attempted to kiss her when she met him in the hall (Pennon heard it all), de- claring that it was only a cousinly right, but she had rejected the salute upon the plea that “he was at best not more than a second cousin.” “At which I hope to have cause for rejoicing,” was the rejoinder. Pennon took a dislike to him before -~he saw him, which was increased afterward. Julien Percy was as small as his ‘mother was large; a dapper, dandyish fellow, elegant with the airs of a collegiate youth. Foppishness can be forgiven his age, however, and it was not that which caused the dislike of Pennon. Something cold and selfish in his eye and cautious in his manner was repulsive to a person devoid of such things, conicbooks.com 4