Belle-Rose — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

18 THE FIRST TEARS. rambles over the country. It was a time of troublesand sy. wars; nothing was talked about except cities attacked, camps surprised, and murderous expeditions. Cardinal Mazarin and the king’s party struggled against Parlia- ment, the princes, and the Spaniard. Monsieur de Condé held the country, sometimes conqueror, sometimes con- quered; but up to this time the town of St. Omer, pro- tected by a good garrison, had not suffered from the -enemy’s depredations, Jacques would have left long since, if he had not been detained by the charm which he experi- enced in living near Mademoiselle de Malzonvilliers. This sentiment was so much the more imperious that he took no account of it. Chance, that great architect of the fu- ture, caused him to read his heart. One day, as he was seated in a corner of the garden, head bowed and rolling a dagger between his fingers, his sister Claudine came and softly struck him on the shoulder. Jacques trembled. “Of what are you thinking?’’ said the frolicsome child to her brother. | ‘I do not know.’ ‘*Do you wish me to tell you? You are thinking of Mam ’selle Suzanne. ’ “Why of her adhe than of another’?’ exclaimed Jacques, somewhat confused.. ‘‘Because Suzanne is Suzanne.’”’ ‘*Beautiful reason ! YY? ‘Very good,’’ replied the child, whose mischievous smile half parted her vermilion lips. ‘Oh, I ni i ‘Then, explain yourself. i ‘*Hold, Jacques,’’ added Claudine, taking on a serious air, “you are thinking of Mam’selle Suzanne because you ss love her.’ _ Jacques blushed to the roots of his hair; he rose with a bound; a new trouble filled his soul, and a thousand con- fused sensations animated him, ) ‘‘Heavens! what is the matter with you?’ exclaimed Claudine, frightened at the sudden SHANE which had taksan place in her brother’s features. ‘‘Listen to me, my sister; you are only a little gir]|——_”’ “IT will be fifteen when the apricots come,’’ said the child. ‘‘But,’? continued Jacques, ‘‘it is said that little girls : By understand these things better than grown boys: Why have you told me that I love Mam'selle Suzanne? Itmay — be that I do, but I do not know it.”’ ~ “Bless me! that is to be seen at the first glance. I cannot : : comicboo ee 3 Md ~, yy ye 2 vie Se. *s mi i,