Belle-Rose — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

THE DUC DE LUXEMBOURG. 131 | pleased? This double question troubled the understanding of poor Déroute; it was a puzzle which he could not solve. While his company was marching toward the northern frontier Belle-Rose hurried as much as possible the organi- zation of his recruits. He displayed so much activity that inafew days his squad was ready to leave, so that he reached the army before the opening of, the campaign. The Army of Flanders was commanded by the Prince de Condé, who had under his orders the Duc de Luxembourg, the Duc d’Dumont, and other generals. The battalion of artillery of which Monsieur de Naucrais’ company formed a part belonged to the corps of Monsieur de Luxembourg, and was one of the first assembled upon the banks of the Sambre, at Charleroi. When Belle-Rose reached the camp, night had fallen. He made himself recognized by the sentinels, distributed his men, and, learning that Mon- sieur de Naucrais was absent on some affairs of the service, he entered the tent which had been prepared for him. Belle-Rose had just unbuckled his belt and thrown aside Lis coat, when Déroute made his appearance. The sergeant had a depressed countenance and a mournful look, but in the claro obscuro of the tgnt, his lieutenant did not at first perceive it. “Hh! ’tis you, my poor Déroute? Yours is the first friendly face 1 have met here;so welcome. Are you well?’’ ‘“*Passably, thanks. It would: be a good thing if every one was as well as myself.’’ Belle-Rose approached Déroute and looked at him. It was only then that he was struck by the dejection of his countenance. “Sneak! what has happened?”’ he said to him. ‘‘A great misfortune—I do not know how to tell Atlee ‘*“Whom does it concern ?’’ ‘Our captain.”’ ‘‘Monsieur de Naucrais! But I have just come from the quarters, and was told that he was absent on some affair ‘connected with the service.’ ‘‘Apparently they did not yet know anything about it.”’ ‘*And what do you know?’’ ‘*Monsieur de Naucrais is yn prison,”’ ‘He! and why?”’ ‘*He has disobeyed the general’s orders.’ ‘‘An infraction of discipline on the part of our captain! It is impossible.’’ ‘*T tell you that. I have seen him, Would I tell you so if it were otherwise?’’ Eomichbooks (E()