Penny Blood Serial Cover — page 72: what you’re looking at

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

64 ALFRED DE ROSANN. I praised your mutton cutlets, said your vol-au-vent was incomparable, and pledged my existence to the excellence of your wines ; upon which you retreated ‘to your kitchen with a complacent smile and an audible chuckle. On those days I was served with a better dinner than ordinarily.” ‘¢ One of the identical vols-au-vent, to which you allude, would be no bad thing at this moment,” cried Champignon. “If wishing and having were synonyms,’’ said Belle-Rose, “ we should all be immediately free and rich.’’ _ And seated at a deveuner & la fourchette,’”’ added the gastronomer. “Faith, would we! eh, De Rosann ?” inquired Belle-Rose, familiarly tapping the youth upon the shoulder. Alfred replied in the affirmative. Wehave already stated, or rather hinted, that certain interested motives, compelling the young man to look beyond the present hour, induced him to be condescending and civil to— the experienced convict, from whose hardihood and knowledge of the dagne he hoped to reap consider- able advantages. A long pause ensued, which was only occasionally interrupted by one of the chain humming a tune, or a Gendarme’s swearing most bitterly and energetically against the rain that still continued to pour in torrents. “Pray, what were you thinking of so earnestly ere now, Monsieur Champignon ?” inquired Belle-Rose, after a lengthened-silence. | ‘“J was racking my _ brains.—By-the-bye, talking of brains, how excellently were they served up at my house with the fete de veau a la tortue !”’ “Those were calf’s brains.’’ “ Yes—yes; but all brains are the same, you know.” 7 “Oh! indeed—and those that you were racking,”’ eried Belle-Rose, with an ironical grin. “| was endeavouring to dicover a new method of COMMcoookS.sE©