Alfred; or, The Adventures of a French Gentleman — page 202: what you’re looking at

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

OF A FRENCH GENTLEMAN. 171 put with gratituae and delignt, as sne was apout to implore him not to dare danger, nor be induced to combat against a common swindler. Alfred noticed that the excitement, which had marked the commencement of her supplication, verged into a melancholy expression that betrayed an inward sorrow returning with reflec- tion; and he endeavoured to direct the conversation to other subjects. All his attempts were, however, unavailing; Selina perpetually referred to the probability of a duel; and would only abandon the subject when De Rosann assured her that no such fatal result was to be anticipated. It was not until four o’clock in the morning that he retired to his couch, where his eyes were soon closed in slumber; and while he dreamt of his faithful Eloise so far away from him in another clime, he wist not that a young heart was filled with his image, and that he was the innocent cause of pain to the unfortunate victim of a love whose increasing fervor experienced no return. CHAPTER XXIV. THE RESULT. De Rosann did not awake till a late hour; and some minutes elapsed ere he could compose his ideas, so as to review his conduct of the preceding evening. The certainty that he had made a deep impression upon the heart of the too sensitive Selina, was a subject of much more grief to our hero than the probability of being shortly obliged to risk his life in a duel. His generous disposition could not do otherwise than sincerely commiserate the situation of the unfortunate girl, and deeply deplore her misplaced affections. He therefore made up his mind to seek an explanation with her as speedily as possible. That explanation he might readily bring about by hinting at his attachment to Eloise—a circumstance as yet unrevealed even to Mr. Robson; and, in case the reader should marvel at this silence and reserve towards so excellent a friend, let us hasten to apologize for our hero. He had retained his love- affair in his own breast, fearful that if Mrs. Clayton should acci- dentally have occasion to correspond with Mr. Robson, the circum- stance might reach her ears; and De Rosann knew she would naturally be offended at his presumption in declaring he was destined to receive the hand of Eloise, when the mother so posi- tively refused to listen to his suit in favour of her daughter. He now repented of this excess of delicacy ; he reproached himself for not having merely hinted, a few days ago, that his heart was de- voted to another; and he made up his mind to repair, as quickly as he could, the incipient injury already done. With regard to his quarrel, we have before stated that he did not suffer it to annoy him. He possessed the daring and reckless courage of a Frenchman; he did not trouble himself about the os. Gomicdooksneo