Alfred; or, The Adventures of a French Gentleman — page 253: what you’re looking at

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

218 ALFRED: OR ADVENTURES the individual whom he sought. According to the directions of the porter, he mounted a narrow stair-case, and knocked at a door on the second story. An old woman admitted him to a dirty apartment, enquired his business, and without saying another word left him alone a good half-hour to his reflections. When his patience was more than exhausted, she again made her appear- ance, and desired him to follow her. He obeyed the command, somewhat sulkily given, and was introduced to a species of oflice, or study, where sate a middle-aged man busily employed in writing atadesk. The old woman motioned our hero to be seatéd, and retired on tip-toe, as if she were afraid of disturbing her master. It will be recollected that when Leblond spoke to De Rosann and Belle-Rose through the guichet of the cachot at Verneuil, the night was dark, and all objects were indistinguishable. Alfred did not therefore know whether he were now in the presence of Leblond or a stranger. But he was not long kept in suspense. The person at the desk soon laid aside his pen, and turned towards our hero, who sate impatiently on his chair, awaiting the moment when he was to give an account of the commission with which he had been . charged. ‘¢ M. Alfred De Rosann, I believe,” said the man of business. ‘¢’The same,” returned our hero; ‘‘and you are M. Leblond, I presume.” ‘‘ You are right. Have you received my last letter, in which I requested you to become the bearer of certain etiects—” ‘‘T have executed your orders to the best of my endeavour,” returned De Rosann, interrupting the other, and laying a quantity of papers upon the desk. ‘¢ You have been zealous and diligent in the cause,” said Le- blond, with a gracious smile, as he cast a hasty glance over the bills which Alfred had brought from London; ‘‘and be assured that an ample reward will not be lacking to recompense you for your services.” ‘¢ T have already experienced many kindnesses at your hands,” cried De Rosann; ‘‘and I return you my most sincere thanks for the royal pardon you condescended to procure me.” ‘¢ Speak not of such-a trifle: your gratitude will shortly be put to a more severe test than perhaps you imagine. The time is nearly at hand when you must prove that benefits are not thrown away upon you, aud that you can be trusted in affairs much more important than the one already confided to you.” «Show me my duties—point out a means by which I can demonstrate my gratitude, and I shall not be found backwara in serving those to whom I aim under a thousand obligations. But wherefore this reserve ?” exclaimed De Rosann: “ wherefore—” ‘‘ Seek not as yet to be acquainted with.mysteries I dare not develop. Recollect that I am only an agent—that I do not even myself know the entire arcana which you are desirous should be ex- posed to your view, and that I am subservient to higher authorities, whose mandates I cannot disobey. Even in my own dwelling—in this room where we are now talking—would my life be taken from b [email protected]©