Alfred; or, The Adventures of a French Gentleman — page 241: what you’re looking at

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

206 ALFRED; OR ADVENTURES the wind alone had abated in violence. A sudden flash of light- ning enabled him to judge the result of the combat. The post- chaise had disappeared; one of his comrades lay stretched upon the ground; the other was no where to be seen. But their horses were standing tranquilly in the middle of the road, overcome with terror, and not daring to move from the spot. The joy of Belle- Rose was great when he thus perceived means of escape so near at hand; for he suspected that De Rosann would return with aid to capture himself and his two companions. He therefore sprang upon the back of one of the trembling steeds, and departed at full callop towards London, heedless of the cries which escaped from the unfortunate wretch whom De Rosann had bound hand and foot and cast into the dry ditch, and who set up a most plaintive yell when he heard Belle-Rose rise from the ground and mutter audible curses on account of the unsuccessful enterprise that thus had allured him from a warm bed, and exposed his person to the inclemency of the weather. At about four o’clock in the morning, the self-styled Count entered the metropolis, and returned to the hotel at which he resided. His clothes were covered with mud; his face was dis- figured with scratches and bruises acquired during his scuffle with the postillion, and his appearance altogether afforded a sorry spec- tacle. Luckily the porter who opened the door to him had no light in his hand ; and being accustomed to attend such summonses at all hours, he did not make any particular remark. Belle- Rose, too glad to have thus escaped detection, and felicitating himself at having avoided the observation of impertinent curiosity, retired to his chamber, where he soon forgot in the arms of sleep the failure of his nocturnal enterprise. | : ~ But when he awoke, at about nine o’clock, an unpleasant re- miniscence returned to his memory, and caused him to make a horrible grimace as his eye caught sight of a long slip of paper lying upon the table. The day before—to the uncommon surprise of the adventurer Belle-Rose, who ‘did not understand such treatment towards a gentleman of rank,” as he expressed himself upon the occasion—the landlord of the hotel had had the impu- dence, according to his guest’s ideas, to present his bill for the thirteenth time, and request immediate payment. Belle-Rose, who had never thought of liquidating this long-standing account with any of the various monies he had obtained by gambling, by trickery, or at the hands of our hero and Mr. Robson, put off the settlement till the next day; and when the proprietor of the inn protested against a repetition of such idle promises, the soz-disan¢ Count kicked him out of the room, and, by the same process, aided him to descend the stairs somewhat quicker than he had mounted them. The host was very indignant at such treatment, and threat- ened to complain to a police magistrate; but Belle-Rose pacified his wrath, and pledged his honour ‘‘as a French nobleman,” that the bill should be duly paid on the following morning. To procure funds for this purpose, the shameless fellow did not hesitate to call once more upon De Rosann, to solicit that which CORNICLOOOKS. EO