A Silver Brand — page 83: what you’re looking at

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

iy ied abee tonsa? i ot ee. Shae a, Se” oe he Seat: ane OP nn ee ee ees = > > Gx aN ‘ PA ot, ete " Re ee Bon . ‘ , - eo r od 4 . — ; 2 . - ™ . a5 ~ y A SILVER BRAND. ~~ ab apologizing in good English; but with a German accent. “ . “IT beg to be pardoned. I was not aware I wa intruding upom company.” | ; “Let us go,” cried Penelope, seizing upon Lina’s hand, and hurrying her forth, as if she feared to . see her snatched away. Z The girl waved a parting gesture to her friend, and was dragged unceremoniously away, by the frightened guardian, who scarcely.drew breath until - she met Paul hurrying toward them. | “What stranger was that?” demanded Paul; “he © came over with a boatman from the other shore.” “I don’t know who he was,” answered Penelope, but her hand shook, and she kept her face averted. “Some one to see old Nat,” said Lina. “Why did you hurry so, Auntie Pen?” Meantime, within the cabin, the stranger had seized upon the hermit’s hand. : “This bright, this beautiful creature, tell me, if it - 18 possible it can be she?” Nat looked annoyed, and perplexed, as he replied: “Itis. But how came you here? why this most unexpected appearance? Explain if -you are Count Stephano, as I suppose.” —_. hg “T escaped by the most charming stratagem. If you please, Iam no Stephano at all. I come for you to perfect me in American ways, for I am at present named Aubrey Dalberg, and Count Stephano is sick there at Schwarzenberg.” | “What farce is this?” demanded the hermit, im- “A charming farce, dear sir, from beginning to end—a charming farce. To think of finding you in such luxurious quarters.” And he looked round the little cabin, first contemptuously, and then with a gay laugh. “And I gave out that my errand was to bespeak some American birds for my museum.” »And came near betraying me, and ruining the cause,” returned Nat. “Iam sorry you have come. I think they might have trusted me to manage things. However, you are here, and I must make the best of it, They are all well, of course.” “ comicbooks.com