Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 188: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XV LADY EVERTON “© Ir was in the beginning of the year 1814 that Lord Everton conducted to the altar Alexandrina, sister of Sir John Marston. His lordship was a colonel in the army, had served for some years in India, where he had greatly dis- tinguished himself, and had amassed considerable wealth. He was forty years of age, but looked considerably older, his constitution having suffered by the influences of an Oriental climate, the fatigues of active service, and the wounds he had sustained. To speak truthfully, he was neither handsome in person nor prepossessing in manners. He had all the imperious habit of command and the authori- tative severity of a soldier. He was far more fitted to preside in a camp than to shine in a drawing-room. Alexandrina was but sixteen when she thus became Lady Everton. She was one of the most beautiful creatures ever seen, — intellectually accomplished, of fascinating manners, and of most amiable disposition. Even if her affections had not been engaged to another, her marriage with an individual more than double her age, and whom she could not possibly love, must have been regarded as a cruel sacrifice. But her affections were engaged; she loved the Honourable Paton Staunton, who was at that time in his thirtieth year. But Mr. Staunton, though the nephew of the then Marquis of Eagledean, appeared not to have any chance of succeeding to the title and estates of his uncle, inasmuch as the marquis had two sons. Moreover, Mr. Staunton was poor, having but a few hundreds a year; the Marston family was likewise poor, and thus Alexandrina, unable to marry the object of her affections, was sacrificed to the lordly and wealthy soldier. 171 ECORVICLOOO® eS (S(O)