Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 194: what you’re looking at

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

“ Yin VIRGIN AND THE VOLUPTUARY. 177 “‘ You shall possess.my entire confidence, dearest Pauline,”’ said the disguised nobleman. “ The first secret that I have to reveal to you is this—TI love!”’ ‘And are you unhappy on that account? ’”’ inquired the young maiden, in a tone of tender interest. “‘ But perhaps you are not loved in return? ”’ “T know not,’ responded Florimel, throwing a deep melancholy into his voice. ‘‘ I hope — and yet I fear.” ‘Doubtless the object of your affection is very hand- some? ’”’ said Pauline. ‘Not handsome — femininely beautiful — very beauti- ful! ’’? exclaimed Florimel, with all the effusion of a worship. ‘“‘ But tell me, my dearest friend, have you yet known what itis to love? ”’ ‘“ Never,’ answered Pauline. “Then are you unacquainted with a source of the purest and most ineffable delight,’ said the youthful voluptuary; “or I should rather describe it as a deliciousness of the feel- ings, a paradise of the emotions — ”’ ‘Wherefore, then, are you unhappy, Gabrielle?” in- quired the artless girl. ‘Oh, love is a pleasing pain, or a painful pleasure — I know not how to describe it!”’ exclaimed Florimel. “* It is something that encourages the most heavenly hopes, throughout which there nevertheless runs an undercurrent of fears; and yet these fears are not exactly what you would describe as gloomy apprehensions. They are rather an exciting influence, seldom or never sinking into despond- ency. Thus, when I tell you that I am unhappy because I fear, | should likewise avow that I am happy because I hope; and such a strange, undefinable sentiment is love, that these contradictory feelings, these opposite sentiments, are experienced by the soul at one and the same time.”’ “’Tis singular, most singular,’’ observed Pauline, in a musing tone; ‘‘ and yet I think that I can fully understand what love must be.”’ “ Friendship often ripens into love,’’ said Florimel. ‘You can scarcely say often, my dear Gabrielle,’’ re- turned Pauline; “‘ because it is very seldom that friendship ever subsists between a young lady and a young gentleman who are not related to each other.” ‘ Nevertheless, such is the case with regard to myself,’ CONMMIELOOOKSsE@)