Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 342: what you’re looking at

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

THE TEST OF LOVE 395 ever beam smilingly upon you. Dear Frank, I have re- ceived an offer of marriage — ”’ “Ah!” and the youth gave a quick spasmodic start, while the colour which had been slowly fading away from his countenance during the latter portion of Juliana’s speech suddenly vanished altogether. “Why do you start thus? Why do you turn pale?” she said, pressing his hand to her bosom, and at the same time looking with impassioned earnestness into his counte- nance. ‘‘ Hear me to the end. I have received, as I was saying, an offer of marriage. In a worldly point of view, it is an advantageous one, though I need hardly assure you there is no affection on my side, for all the love that my heart had to bestow is yours, and yours only. Well, but this marriage will give me a social position, and will also give me wealth, and you, my dearest Frank, shall continue to be the real object of my love. You shall have no care for your livelihood. No need to push your fortune in other realms —”’ “And would you, Juliana,” interrupted Frank, in a voice that was not merely low, but likewise hollow and gloomy, sad, and even startling to hear from the lips of one so young, ‘and would you, Juliana, be guilty of such tremendous deceit toward a husband, and doom me to the degradation of being a hireling favourite — a pensioned paramour? ”’ “Dear Frank, how strangely you talk! One would really think,’’ continued Juliana, “ that you were affecting to speak like a Puritan,” and she gazed upon him searchingly, to see if he could possibly be in earnest. “Oh, Juliana,” he exclaimed, with a sudden outburst. of emotion, “ do not, do not let me think that it is you who have been speaking in a manner sufficient to astonish and bewilder me. Do not destroy the brightest dream that ever shed its golden influence upon the human heart. Recall everything you have said, tell me that you were seeking to put me to the test, that you were compelling me to pass through an ordeal for the purpose of assuring yourself that I am worthy to become your husband.” ‘Frank, dear Frank, I am at a loss to comprehend you,” and Juliana would have been really and truly angry, had not the youth seemed so eminently handsome at the moment, with the expression of lofty pride upon his brow, and of CONnNIELDOOKS (C(O)