Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

A TRAGEDY 11 “ Or cider?’ exclaimed the old woman. “ We have got some good cider, and this ney and her maid have pronounced it excellent.”’ ‘“ Yes, that assurance I can BL UAE give you, gentlemen,”’ said the handsomely dressed female, who had never taken her fine dark eyes off Deveril since the first moment he en- tered the cottage, for she was evidently struck by the exceed- ing beauty of his person, as well perhaps by having heard his name mentioned by the old woman’s son when he made his appearance. Deveril bowed courteously as she spoke, and again it struck him that he had seen her before. ‘Tf it be not impertinent, sir,’”’ she said, “‘ are you the Mr. Deveril whose name created so much sympathy on a recent occasion?”’ Then as our hero again bowed, though somewhat distantly, — for he did not much like the hardihood of his questioner’s looks,—she exclaimed, “‘Ah! I am _ well acquainted with Lord Harold Staunton, and his intimate friend Lord Saxondale too.’ “Do you come from London, then? ”’ ineiuired Mr. Gun- thorpe, in his blunt manner. “ T reside habitually in London,’’ was the response, “‘ but a little business has brought me down into these parts. I dare say,” added the lady, “‘ that my name is not unfamiliar to you, gentlemen. I am Mademoiselle d’Alembert of the Italian Opera.”’ ‘“ Ah!” ejaculated Deveril, now instantaneously recollect- ing where he had seen her countenance before. “ Yes, that is my name,’ she continued, flattering herself that it was in admiring surprise that the young gentleman had sent forth that exclamation. ‘‘ But come,” she added, addressing herself to her soubrette; “‘ we must be off.” Rising from her seat, she ostentatiously took from her purse a sovereign, which she tendered to the old woman of the cottage, who literally confounded herself in curtsies at this unlooked-for liberality, but Mademoiselle d’ Alembert, turning abruptly away with the air of one who does not require thanks for any evidence of her bounty, said, in a sort of half-whisper to our hero, “ If, on your return to London, Mr. Deveril, you would favour me with a call at Evergreen Villa, in the Seven Sisters Road, Holloway, I shall be happy to recelve you.”’ ) GOMIIGDOOKS (EO)