Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 124: what you’re looking at

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

112 THE EVE OF THE LAST DAY. CHAPTER XVI. THE EVE OF THE LAST DAY. At the corporal’s words, Belle-Rose looked at the plain which was radiant with the splendor of a beautiful day. The corporal observed this look. ‘‘That is to say you will be shot in forty-eight hours if I wish it,’’ he added. ‘*Has the presidency of the councils of war fallen to you?’’ asked Belle-Rose, languidly. ‘‘T command the place, and it shall not be said that I have done nothing to save you from their muskets. I have my project, and I intend to execute it.”’ Belle-Rose, astonished, turned to the corporal who, while talking, had just bolted the door. ‘“‘Two precautions are better than one,’’ continued Déroute. Let us close the door and talk low. Here is a chair; sit down, and above all listen to me well.’’ The corporal sat down beside the sergeant and continued in these terms: ‘‘Monsieur de Naucrais has placed me in command of the guard. Thatis what I wished. The court-martial as- sembles to-morrow morning; you will be condemned to- morrow evening, and after the promulgation of the sen- tence, you will be taken to the dungeon of the provost guard, where you will be confided to the hands of the provost of the company, and the next day at noon, in the presence of the whole garrison, you will be shot. ”’ ‘‘T thank you for these details, my friend; they interest me much,”’ said Belle-Rose. ‘*Listen to the end; the rest will interest you more. If I waited till the provost closed the door of his dungeon upon you, you understand that the intervention of Cor- poral Déroute would not be very useful to you; those in the care of the provost do not escape. But between this honest prison in which we arc talking and his cursed dun- geon, there are twenty-four hours. It is more time than I need to effect your escape.”’ Belle-Rose bounded in his chair. ‘*Escape!’’ he exclaimed. “Undoubtedly! Do you think, then, that Corporal Déroute is one of those who forget their friends? I love you and will save you.”’ Eomicbooks..com —