Penny Blood Serial Cover — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

-— 28 : ALFRED DE ROSANN. made a pretence of filling up the first; but he threw down the pen before he completed a single word, saying, “ Ah! De Rosann, your champagne has ren- dered me unfit for business; and these bills—which ought to be ready by eight o’clock to-morrow morn- ing! Here is work enough for at least three hours; and I am unable to share in the Jabour. What is to be doner’’ “How, capital!’’ exclaimed De Rosann; “ the wine has overtaken you, La Motte, at last—you who boast- ed at dinner that nothing could affect your brain— you who offered to drink glass for glass with any man for a wager—ha! ha! ha!?’’ And Alfred, affecting sobriety——a circumstance so common to a person under the influence of liquor—— seized the pen, placed the stamps before him, and be- gan writing to his companion’s dictation, with a cour- age that would have deceived an eye-witness as to his real state. La Motte furnished him with a verbal description for the first bill—and then sate by to en- courage him in the task. Often and often did De Rosann nod over the paper, and find himself aroused by the voice of his partner, who occasionally supplied him with a glass of lemonade or sugar-and-water to refresh his parched tongue. Two or three times the unsuspicious youth laid down the pen, declaring his inability to proceed, and the need in which he stood of repose; but La Motte encouraged him with such exclamations as, ‘* Why, my dear fellow, you are not beaten yet! Recollect that our punctuality and ex- actitude in business are at stake; remember that every word you write creates fresh revenues for yourself and your future wife; and do not give up, now that you have done so much.” * « : , A drunken man is easily persuaded; and De Ro- sann continued hts labours. Bill after bill was fabri- cated, each drawn upon Messieurs Delisle, Guerin, and Company, of Marseilles, and accepted by De Rosann for them, according to the procuration which La Motte declared to have received from that firm. COMCIOOKS EO