Alfred; or, The Adventures of a French Gentleman — page 256: what you’re looking at

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

OF AJPRENCH GENTLEMAN. 99] suit with Eloise, and to give pleasure to one who promised to be a powerful advocate in his cause. So early as seven o’clock, did De Rosann leave his feverish couch ; and haying partaken of a hasty meal, he sought the fresh air to dissipate a partial headache, which want of sleep had most pro- bably caused. Meurice’s hotel was then in the Rue St. Honore. Our hero directed his steps towards the fashionable quarter of Paris; and having traversed the Place Vendéme, he gained the Boulevards by the Rue de la Paix. The morning was fine—the rays of a jovial sun gilded the thousand towers of the sovereign city of Europe; and all nature seemed blythe and gay. The shops were already opened ; but it appeared to our hero, as he advanced along the shady walk which surrounds so considerable a portion of the gay city, that an unusual number of people for such an hour was abroad. At length he noticed many with anxious faces—others bustling backwards and forwards from one house to another—some assuming important airs of mystery — groups here and there gathered together in earnest conversation—a few carrying news- papers in their hands, and stopping their acquaintances to point out a particular paragraph—all this struck De Rosann as singular and alarming. When he arrived at the Porte St. Martin, he turned to retrace his steps—and the mystery, the bustle, and the agitation were still the same. Some had smiles upon their countenances — others showed evident signs of terror; one spoke to his neighbour in a tone of energy and vehemence; a second listened with mouth half open and staring eyes; a third rubbed his hands together, as if he were satisfied at a particular occurrence ; a fourth endeavoured to repress the swaggering air of the individual with whom he was conversing ; a fifth cast anxious Jooks around; in fine, it was but too evident that the public spirit was labouring under a strong excitement, the cause of which was an enigma our hero could not solve. A secret presentiment of foreboding evil took possession of his mind. He felt an agitation suddenly seize upon him, and he endeavoured in vain to account for it. He experienced little dread as to the eventual success of his suit with Eloise; his property was safe; his person appeared in no danger; and yet he was uneasy. He seemed to draw his breath with difficulty as he walked along; he saw not things as they usually were; a change was perceptibly taking place, but a change of what he could not determine. Paris wore an air of confusion, dismay, and alarm ; the atmosphere, that hung over her nead, appeared pregnant with a storm about to burst; the looks of her citizens, as they walked or stood in the streets, were foreboding and prophetic. Still our hero was at a loss to imagine how those looks were foreboding, and the nature of the events they had the air of prophesying. He essayed to per- suade himself that all was calm and tranquil as usual, and that a disordered imagination tortured things into unnatural shapes. But he could not satisfy his mind that it was an illusion—-he was no Pyrrhonian—he confounded not ideas and matter--he saw strange sights, and he believed in their existence. Gomicdooksrteo