Alfred; or, The Adventures of a French Gentleman — page 116: what you’re looking at

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

OF A FRENCH GENTLEMAN. 97 CHAPTER XIV. VARIOUS ENCOUNTERS. WHEN the condition of an individual is apparently the most forlorn and pitiable—when the dark horizon of his own sphere is illuminated with not one single gleam of hope—when the dark clouds of despair hover around him—and when his mind is reduced to the lowest ebb of des- pondency and sorrow, how suddenly may a bright meteor dart across that gloomy horizon —how rapidly may the rays of the rising sun dis- pel those dark clouds around him—and how quickly may hope and glad- ness elate that mind, which only a few moments before entertained almost the ideas of the darkly-brooding suicide. These are periods in in the lives of all individuals: there breathes not a man of advanced age, who has not had his chequered and sad moments as well as his joyous and glad ones: but the hour of bitterness, when the gall is the most nauseous, is the precursor of one of change, in which the cup shall be filled with honey. The possession of the mysterious papers quite changed the current of De Rosann’s thoughts. He felt that were he to retire to his bed, he could now taste the sweets of repose, and imitate the example of his companion. He no longer cast terrified glances round the dismal and naked walls of the haunted apartment; the slightest sound failed to startle him as it had done a quarter of an hour before. He therefore determined to avail himself of the few hours that intervened between the present moment and the morning, and seek a partial indemnification for the gloomy vigils he had hitherto kept. But scarcely was his mind made up to court the favours of Morpheus, when the sudden loud barking of Azor called him to the window, and at the same moment awoke Belle-Rose, who started up, rubbed his eyes, and inquired the reason of so unseemly a clamour. “J can discover nothing,” said De Rosann, hanging half-way out | of the window which he had opened, and locking around with straining eyes. ‘“ What! you have not been in bed, then?” exclaimed Belle-Rose, noticing that his companion was still drest. ‘“‘ T have not taken off my clothes,” returned De Rosann. “ But can you conceive the cause of this incessant barking? The dog evidently hears or sees something strange.” “¢ What o’clock do you suppose it to be?” inquired Belle-Rose. *‘ About one, or half past,’ was the reply. *‘ Impossible, my dear fellow! See how light it is.” “ And yet that glare is quite sudden,’ remarked De Rosann; “ it is not the dawn of morning: all round the eastern horizon, where it should be light, the clouds are quite dark; and immediately above our heads, there 1s a strange lustre.’ 13 COMIC OOOKSAEO©