Penny Blood Serial Cover — page 116: what you’re looking at

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

108 ALFRED DE ROSANN. CHAPTER X. THE MASSACRE. ARRIVED at the foot of the scaffold, the cavalcade halted; and an inspector noticed that the executioner was not there. On inquiry it was discovered that the worthy functionary of the dagne, who was himself a convict, had purposely sprained his leg in so dreadful a manner, as to be totally unable to rise from his bed in the hospital, whither he had been conveyed. A low murmur of applause issued from the galley-slaves nearest the scaffold, at these news, which speedily flew from man to man. “ Fle will be saved!”’ said Belle-Rose in a whisper. “Thank God!’ cried De Rosann; “ but where- fore?”’ “There is no executioner,’ was the reply. “One will be found, I am afraid,’? murmured Alfred. : “Q no!—the executioner must be a convict; and all will refuse, as sure as you area living man,” re- joined Belle-Rose. “You do not think that retributive justice will be thus cheated of its prey?’? continued De Rosann,as he breathed an inaudible prayer to the Almighty Judge of heaven and earth to“spare the gray hairs of that old man. “TI don’t know anything about those fine-turned sentences, my dear fellow,’’ said Belle-Rose, impa- tiently: “ but what I mean to insinuate is, that Fran- cois stands a devilish good chance of escaping.’’ ‘ Would to heaven that he did!’’ whispered our hero, with the most unfeigned: sincerity. “ Be heaven or hell the arbiter of his fate, com- rade,’ added Belle-Rose, “ the thing will take pretty EOPMICLOOKSs€O —