Alfred; or, The Adventures of a French Gentleman — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

OF A FRENCH GENTLEMAN. 83 peasant, “it is not a duty imposed by humanity, nor the rights of hospi- tality, to protect offenders against the laws of our country.” ‘“ T perfectly agree with you, my honest friend,” exclaimed Belle-Rose; ‘and advise you always to practise those principles which sound so well in theory.” “Every honest man must be of the same opinion,” said the unlearned but upright labourer, who did not perceive that Belle-Iose was ridiculing the severity of the ideas of justice entertained by this modern Draco. “ Summum jus, summa injuria,’ thought De Rosann, anxious that this conversation should terminate, for the topic was anything but agree- able to him: and at this moment he again envied the wonderful coolness and sang-froid of Belle-Rose, whose countenance did not vary a shade, nor his features a muscle, as he discoursed on matters so intimately connected with his own private circumstances, and those of his companion. To the great delight of our hero, Ciaude soon rose from the table, wished his guests a respectful “‘ Good morning,’ and issued forth to resume his toils. In a quarter of an hour, when Belle- Rose thought the peasant was at a sufficient distance, he made a sign to De Rosann, who gave a nod to signify acquiescence, and they once more set out on their journey, having returned a thousand thanks for the hospitality they had experienced. It was now nearly three o’clock; the oblique rays of the sun with difficulty penetrated through the thick wood, which became more dense and entangled the further our travellers advanced into it ; and a refreshing breeze, blowing directly from the westward, diminished still further the influence of the heat. ‘“‘ Let us proceed gently,’ said Belle-Rose; “ for it is useless—nay, even dangerous, to quit the mazes of the wood ere night-fall. We areas secure in these labyrinths as in the midst of the desarts of Saara; but were we to emerge into the open fields, we should run the risk of a dis- agreeable encounter.” “Jt is extraordinary,’ remarked Alfred, ‘‘that the gendarmes do not search this wood throughout in the first instance. They cannot expect to find fugitive convicts walking quietly along the main-roads, to be picked up at pleasure, and be reconducted to their gaols.” “* Live and learn,’ quoth the proverb, my dear fellow,” cried Belle- Rose: “ your astonishment is verv natural ; bnt two words from the lips of experience will explain the mystery. The gendarmes say to them- selves, ‘Where shall we look for this convict who has escaped, and who will make use of all his cunning to avoid encountering us?’ ‘ Not in a wood, the entrance of which is nearly on the very slope of the glacis,’ replies Common Sense: ‘the convict suspects that you would scarcely omit searching it throughout, and therefore conceals himself any where but there.’ Upon this the gendarmes commence scouring the country, and never dream that the objects of their investigation are scarcely three leagues from the town.’’ “I must really compliment you on your fore-thought,”’ cried De Rosann. “ Had I been by myself, I should have certainly acted dif- ferently, and have endeavoured to place as great a distance between me and Brest, and that in as short a time, as possible.” ‘* You were brought up a gentle -an De Rosann, and I a scamp--an Gomicbooksneo