Alfred de Rosann — page 32: what you’re looking at

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

ALFRED DE ROSANN. 23 some difficulty to make himself understood ; but the proprietors and domestics of the various inns in the town were so accustomed to receive or attend upon French travellers, that they had generally imbibed a smattering of the language, or anticipated the wants of their transmarine guests, which answered the same purpose, even if it were not preferable on the score of saving*many useless demands and explanatory signs. Being shown to a bed-room, De Rosann_ prepared to change his linen and perform his ablutions ere he thought of anything else. But no one can conceive his rage and despair, when on opening his portman- teau he found that it was not his own. He stamped his feet, and clenched his fists, as if he were about to lay violent hands on himself ; large drops of perspi- ration ran off his forehead down his cheeks,—his countenance turned pale and red alternately twenty times in a minute,—and_ his pulse beat quickly to a , feverish degree. Such is a Frenchman’s anger; or rather, such are his mingled wrath and sorrow—an extreme, like his felicity. De Rosann cursed his un- lucky stars—dragged forth article after article from the fatal portmanteau, and only found: more convinc- ing proofs of the mistake, or intentional change, whichever it might be. While he was endeavouring to compose his disordered passions, to debate within himself on the best measures to be pursued in so terri- ble a dilemma, a morsel of paper, that had fallen from the box amongst other things, met his eyes. He hastily seized it; ’twas a letter directed to himself : he tore it open, and read as follows :— _ ‘“ Fin contre fin,* my dear De Rosann: Did you deem it possible to deceive Pierre Belle-Rose, whose Janus head and Argus glanees may be matched in penetration against those of Vidocq himself? Was it probable that your secret could escape me? Oh! De * Cunning against cunning,—diamond cut diamond. Gomicbooks (E@) 4