Alfred; or, The Adventures of a French Gentleman — page 103: what you’re looking at

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

bt 84 ALFRED; OR ADVENTURES adventurer—a good-for-nothing fellow,” returned Belle-Rose with a smile: “but the gendarmes are seldom outwitted by the gentleman; they can only be cheated by men that have had a little experience in a. certain way. Now, I dare swear, the other convict, who has escaped this morning, is ten leagues further from the town than we are: that is, if he be not an old hand. And, in case my supposition is correct, he stands a thousand more chances of being captured than we do.”’ ‘* Hark!” cried De Rosann: “ did you not hear something—a rustling amongst the trees ?”’ ‘“ Yes; but it is nothing,” answered Belle-Rose without a moment’s hesitation, and without lowering his voice. ‘‘ Fear changes the terrified pace of a rat or a rabbit into the trampling of a gendarme’s horse ; whereas presence of mind hears sounds as they really are.” De Rosann coloured at this rebuke; but he knew that he deserved it, and that Belle-Rose did not utter it maliciously: he therefore said nothing. «¢ We are now near the extremity of the wood, and must repose our- selves once more,” said Belle-Rose, after a long pause, during which they had unconsciously quickened their pace. “I did not know we were quite so far from the hut of the worthy Claude, who, by the bye, is a most consummate ass with his rigorous ideas of justice, and of the necessity of maintaining social order at the expense of humanity.” “T confess,” said De Rosann, “ one may push justice to such an extremity, that it changes its name and becomes cruelty.” « What can you expect from barbarian ignorance? Tell him and his family an anecdote of Napoleon, and they will worship you. Solicit their hospitality, and they give you food and shelter with pleasure: but lay yourself open to them, throw your life upon their mercy, confess that you are a forcat évadé, and they will eject you from their dwelling, as if there were pestilence in your very breath.”’ «“ And yet, with the most rude and uncultured minds, the harmony of music has a powerful sway,” said De Rosann. ‘“ Shakspeare—the pride of English dramatic authors—has a splendid idea on the subject. But the sun is declining fast—the shades of evening will soon envelope us— and meseems that we have rested well and often during the day.” ‘‘In half an hour we will pursue our march towards Morlaix,” answered Belle-Rose. “In the neighbourhood of that town I know where we can procure both supper and bed, should you feel tired. ‘The former is essential: as to the latter, we may decide anon.” « Act entirely according to your own judgment ; I shall not be weary, if it be necessary to travel the whole night. When one is situated as we are, he must not attend to mere comforts.” “In this case,” returned Belle-Rose, “we may do as it seems good to us. Our safety is not compromised by sleeping at the cottage whither I am about to conduct you: and I have already given my reasons for not wishing to hasten too precipitately away from the neighbourhood.”’ A sudden rustling amongst the trees interrupted this conversation. Belle-Rose listened for a moment—the noise continued—and his expe- rienced ear told him that it was caused by the footsteps of a man. He caught hold of De Rosann’s arm, and whispered his suspicions in as low Connicloooks