Belle-Rose — page 128: what you’re looking at

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

Pe - . “HE EVE OF THE LAST DAY. 117 court-martial. At nine o'clock in the morning a squad of _ sappers appeared at the door of the dungeon. An officer appeared upon the threshold, sword in hand, and made a 3 sign to Belle-Rose to advance. Five minutes after, he en- = tered the hall of the court-martial, which was presided ) over by the major of the regiment. Monsieur de Naucrais was seated to the right of the major. His face appeared calm; only it was very pale. Beforea table, opposite the major, a clerk was.to be seen. The squad ranged tlrem- st selves in front of the tribunal, and Belle-Rose remained standing slightly in front. The hall was filled with curi- osity seekers, among which were to be remarked a large number of soldiers. On the arrival of the sergeant, a great commotion took place in this crowd; a deep silence soon succeeded it. The clerk first read the accusation, which declared that Sergeant Belle-Rose, after having grievously wounded his lieutenant, had rendered himself guilty of the crime of desertion. After this reading, the major a passed to the questioning of the prisoner. “Your name?’’ said he. ‘Jacques Grinedal,’’ said Belle-Rose, ‘‘sergeant in the company ‘of Monsieur de Naucrais.”’ At his name, Monsieur de Naucrais trembled, and dur- ing the rest of the questioning remained with head bowed. ‘Your age?’’ continued the president. ‘Twenty-three, ”’ After the clerk had recorded these divers responses in the procés-verbal, Belle-Rose was asked if he had not wounded his lieutenant, Monsieur le Chevalier de Ville- brais, somewhere close to Neuilly. Belle-Rose answered. this question affirmativelv; but in justification of his honor as a soldier, he begged the tribunal to hear him, and, upon the authorization of the major, he related the scene which had resulted in the duel. This declaration was listened to in profound silence. A murmur traversed the assembly. The crowd absolved the soldier. The major picked up a package of papers. ‘The confessions of the accused,’’ said he, ‘‘are in con- formity with the written and signed declarations sent us from Paris; one comes from the coachman who drove -. the sergeant and his sister; the other is from an Irish gentleman, Cornelius O’Brien, who witnessed the com- bat. They have not been contradicted by Monsieur de Vil- _lebrais, to whom they have been transmitted and whose == absence we regret at this moment. ” After the hearing of these facts, the court-martial, con- — ~COMICDOOKS. co