Alfred de Rosann — page 81: what you’re looking at

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

72 ALFRED DE ROSANN. CHAPTER VIII. THE BALL. Ir is most singular, how the most important events of our lives spring from circumstances which the asso- ciation with those episodes in our daily destinies alone renders worthy of notice. The licentiousness of an abandoned woman (according to the popular fable), caused a disastrous war of ten years’ duration, and the eventual sack of a mighty city: the distaste of a Roman senator’s daughter for the rods of the lictors, originated the election of plebeian instead of patrician consuls. On the mighty sea of life, the smallest rock will occasion ~ shipwreck—the slightest current cause a deviation from a certain course—the most insrgnificant quicksand swallow up immense wealth—the appearance of a sud- den mirage wrecks the sanguine mariner upon the nearest peninsula. And-such are the destinies of man! As he walks upon level ground, a pebble may cause him to stumble: as he deviates from his habitual path, a quagmire may await his unconscious steps! De Rosann was engaged to dine with Mr. Robson, and accompany his family to Mrs, Wentworth’s ball in the evening. On account of a trifling difference between the clocks at the West Eind and the one by which the household economy of the worthy banker’s spouse was regulated, our hero arrived a few minutes _before six, and happened to find Selina again alone in the drawing-room. He would willingly have avoided the disagreeableness of a ¢é@¢e-a-¢éte now that his mind entertained the idea of Selina’s attachment to him; but it was impossible to combat against the decrees of fate, or the embarrassments of chance; and he endeavoured Gomichbooks;com