Belle-Rose — page 50: what you’re looking at

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

pS Ee coax ease > ° : So» Se - . . ~~, * ” << “That makes fifteen louis. In war, asin love, what one — - ~ +, 2 THE SKIRMISH. so ~ 39 loses is lost.’ | ‘Ah! 12? ¥3 “With three hundred and Sixty livres you have just about enough to beat about the streets of Paris for two months, after which you will have the resource of making a8 lackey of yourself.”’ “I would rather throw myself into the river.’ “That is not the way to ma ry Mademoiselle de Malzon- villiers. ’ “True. I can always make a soldier of myself.’’ _ <That is difficult. In the trade of arms you have twenty — _ chances to get your head cracked aud one to win epau- lettes.’’ *‘Not many, to be sure.’ “But at Paris, for two. aude to make a fortune, you have twelve to die of hunger—unless you consent to prac- tice certain trades which are repugnant to honest people. ”’ “The ‘not many’ of just now is reduced to none.’’ | “*Ah! my friend, you have undertaken a rough job, in which courage and perseverance can only win in case acci- dent places itself on their side. ’ ‘While waiting for its consent to do so, what do you advise me?’’ | “That is what we are mutually going to decide upon. Empty that bottle of old Burgundy. Wine brings counsel; it shows as easy the most extravagant things, and those _ are the only kind which are worth while attempting. When you wish to become a captain, you must think of becoming a general.’’ ‘“‘General!’’ exclaimed Jacques, thoroughly astonished. “Certainly if 1 was foolish enough to relish love, I - would risk myself with princesses of the blood.’’ “Well, for a beginning, what do you say to incorpor- ating me in the light-horse?”’ “Hh! the uniform is pretty! If you take care to avoid the grape-shot, the bullets, the balls, the grenades, and - other mischievous projectiles, if you are neither killed ~ nor amputated, if you always conduct yourself valiantly, if you never get punished, if you distinguish yourself by | + some splendid action, and if luck smiles upon you, you can ~ count upon the gold lace of a quarter-master at the age of —_ - ” : he. < 4 — AAs _ forty-eight. You have to take care that.a lieutenant does not take it into his head to look at you askew because you failed to salute him properly, in which case you would run 20 risk of FemMPALANG a brigadier up to your sixtieth year, ’ Ecomichooks Eo - \ E cos *% wey. a .