Belle-Rose — page 178: what you’re looking at

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

A TRAP. : 167 The eyes of the duchess fell upon a paper folded in the form of a letter which was lying on the ground; nimble as a bird, she leaped to the ground and picked up the paper. At the first line she erew pale, ‘““This is the note which was handed to the lieutenant?’’ said she to Grippard, in a trembling voice. ‘“T think so.”’ ‘‘It is a piece of treachery !’’ said she. At this moment Cornelius O’Brien, Guillaume, and Pierre came up to embrace Belle-Rose. The duchess at once recognized the gentleman whom she had met in the antechamber of Monsieur de Louvois. She ran to him. ‘‘Monsieur,’’ she said to him, ‘‘do you recognize me?”’ ‘The Duchess de Chateaufort!’’ exclaimed Cornelius, bowing. ‘‘Well, monsieur, at this moment Belle-Rose is being assassinated. ”’ At this cry, old Guillaume rushed toward the duchess. ‘‘What did you say, madame?’’ he exclaimed; ‘‘I am his father.”’ | @‘Il say that we must save him if he is living or avenge him if he is dead. Itis to Morlanwelz we must go; to horse, to horse, and follow me!’ The duchess took a pistol from Grippard’s belt, leaped. upon her mare, and rode away, followed by the two lackeys. Cornelius, Guillaume, Pierre, and Grippard mounted some cavalry horses which were close by, and the little troop, excited by its guide, crossed the barriers of the camp. — Meanwhile Belle-Rose and Déroute were following the Lorraine, who urged on his steed without saying a word. At the end of a league, Conrad took a path to the left which cut through the fields. The approach of war had -caused the inhabitants to decamp; the farms were devas- _ tated; not a peasant was to be seen in the neighborhood. ‘‘Where the devil are you taking. us?’’ said Déroute to | the Lorraine. ‘‘It is an interview in which prudence is necessary. The person who sends me would be in despair if she was sus- pected,’’ replied Conrad. Déroute was silent, but he assured himself that his pistols were loose in their holsters. Those which Conrad concealed in his pockets were all loaded. They kept on for half an hour without discovering any one. Belle-Rose, absorbed by his thoughts, was meditating on the mission Eomicboo gs) (E(e)