Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 337: what you’re looking at

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

320 | REYNOLDS’ WORKS ‘ ‘did you, then, think I had forgotten you? Why have you not sought me before? But come, we have much to say to each other; there is a shady arbour at the end of this avenue, we will proceed thither and converse. — is no fear of interruption. Come, dearest Frank, come,” and she gaily and blithely led the youth along. They reached the bower formed by thickly twining ] jasmine intermingled with roses, the flowers of which were in full bloom, and the whole cypported by an overarching trellis- work. Into this bower — one fully fitted for the sighs and the kisses and the language of love — Juliana Farefield conducted Frank, and they sat down side by side. She retained one of his hands between both her own, and then she looked at him, long and earnestly at first. It was with fondest adoration, this gaze of hers, fixed upon his glowing countenance, for the natural paleness of his cheeks was covered now by the mantling blood, and then it was with a erowing expression of regret and sorrow on her part, as she surveyed the meanness and poverty of his apparel. “Dearest Frank,’’ she said, “‘ you are not happy; you are not prosperous in your circumstances. I fear me that the world goes not well with you? ”’ ‘‘ Alas, no!’’ responded the youth, and deeper grew the colour upon his cheeks, and he became covered with con- fusion, for he was now suddenly seized with an intense dis- like for the part that he was enacting; he thought that he had already received sufficient evidences of Juliana’s constant and devoted love to render a test unnecessary, and he was about to throw himself at her feet and reveal the motive for which he had come in that mean garb, when the thought suddenly flashed to his recollection that he had solemnly and sacredly promised his father, ere quitting London, that he would put her to that test, and that in no moment of weakness or infatuation would he abandon it ere ascertaining the full result. “You were going to say something, Frank; you stopped short suddenly,” said Juliana, contemplating him with renewed, or, rather, with redoubled attention. ‘‘ I see but too plainly, my dearest boy, that things are not well with you; but, thank Heaven! it is in my power to remedy them. Frank,’’ she continued, in a half-reproachful, half-tender tone, ‘if you wanted for anything, why did you not write Gomichbooks (Eo)