Penny Blood Serial Cover — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

ALFRED DE ROSANN. 17 so lips were pouting and red—and when a smile played upon them, they revealed a set of teeth that might have brought the whitest ivory to shame. And on her countenance was an expression of such sweet sim- plicity, that no libertine, however emboldened by -his successes in amatory warfare, could have ventured to gaze rudely on Eloise: there was that halo of chas- tity and innocence around her, which made those who beheld her scarcely ever dare to think of love, but to regard her in admiration mingled with respect. She was like the delicate bud that the ravaging hand of the gardener, who has remorselessly gathered com- mon flowers, does not venture to pluck. Frail and weak as woman is, innocence with her was strength —modesty was a protecting shield—the chaste glance of her downcast eye was a sword to disarm the at- tacks of the most adventurous. No one, however brutal his disposition, could have injured that fair creature; but thousands would have been ready and proud to protect her. So unassuming was she in her manner, so amiable in her disposition, and so unso- phisticated in her ideas, that the breath of calumny could not reach her, had there been found cne malig- nant tongue to utter a derogatory syllable against her honour. ‘The old, who are generally bitter in their remarks upon youthful beauty, dared not, nor even wished, to couple her name with scandal; the bare mention of a word calculated to injure her fair fame would have proclaimed itself a lie. Such was Eloise at the age of sixteen, when a youth, whose name was Alfred de Rosann, became acquainted with the family: At first sight he was struck with her beauty; her accomplishments and spotless character achieved the rest. Ina very short time he was deeply enamoured of Miss Clayton, and he hoped that he was not entirely indifferent to her in whom he had centred his entire affections. The mother and uncle—ever watchful over the welfare and interests of the young maiden—were far from displeased with the attentions which the youth o* CoOmicoooks