Penny Blood Serial Cover — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

ALFRED DE ROSANN, 5 A year passed away in the peaceful retreat of the ‘family of d’ Estelle, when a grievous illness threatened to rob the noble exile of his virtuous spouse. Ma- dame d’Estelle was naturally of a weak constitution ; and the misfortunes of her family had preyed upon a too sensitive mind to such a degree, that at length the body was affected. Day and night did the heart- broken husband attend at the sick bed of her who had shared all his adversities with heroic fortitude ; but vainly did he endeavour to blind himself to the cer- tainty of soon sustaining a terrible loss. Every hour appeared to add to the malignity of the slow fever which was consuming the unhappy lady ; and bitter —burning tears, were those that the emigrant shed when his beloved wife snatched a momentary repose. The medical gentleman who attended Madame d’Estelle, was a person no less renowned for his ta- Jent than for the excellence of his disposition, and the goodness of his heart. His name was Clayton ; his family was ancient and respectable ; and his reputa- tion, as a professional man, was so firmly established, and on such sound principles, that he enjoyed a practice inferior to that of no surgeon in London. He was united to an amiable woman, whom he tenderly loved ; and his marriage had been blessed with a smiling offspring. Two boys claimed his parental care, and engrossed all the time that he could spare from his medical duties. One was about eleven years of age at the period when Mr. Clayton was called in to at- tend upon Madame d’Estelle; the other was only nine ; but both were promising youths, full of vivaci- ty, quickness, and mental energy. William—the el- der of the two—was more sedate and studious in his disposition than his brother Henry ; the former was the favourite of his father—for all parents are guilty, if such a term be applicable, to these predilections ; and the latter was the darling of his mother. Mrs. Clayton conceived an extraordinary degree of interest in favour of the emigrants, the moment her 1* Comicoooks