Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

A WOMAN’S HAND. 119 and the sentinels presented arms. Flambeaux were lit, and the clerk read the judgment of the court-martial. ‘What is the hour set for execution?’’ asked Belle-Rose. ‘To-morrow morning, at eleven o’clock.’’ ‘*T will be ready, monsieur.”’ ‘‘If you are of our holy religion, does it please you to have a confessor?”’ ‘*T was just going to ask you to procure me one.”’ The clerk made a sign to the provost, who went out and came back at the end of ten minutes with apriest. Every- body withdrew, and when the door was closed, Belle- Rose remained alone with the man of God. CHAPTER XVII. A WOMAN’S HAND. The next day at ten o’clock the provost entered the dun- geon. Belle-Rose was sleeping upon the pallet, after a night passed in pious exhortations, fatigue of body hav- ing triumphed over anguish of mind. The priest was pray- ing, kneeling under the image of Christ. The provost struck the condemned man upon the shoulder. ‘Stand, sergeant,’’ said he, ‘‘the hour has come.”’ Belle-Rose obeyed at once. The priest advanced to- ward him. ‘*‘My father, pardon me my faults,’’ the soldier said to him, falling upon his knees. The priest raised his hands to heaven. ‘Condemned by men, I absolve you before God,’’ said he; ‘‘you have suffered, go in peace.’’ And with his finger he traced the sign of the cross upon the prisoner’s forehead. Then the priest and soldier em- braced each other. Belle- Rose still wore the clothing given him by Madame de Chateaufort. He took off his justan- corps, and asked the provost to permit him to make a pres- ent of it to the jailer; as to the money which he carried in his belt, he turned it over to him for distribution among the soldiers who were serving as guards. “*I except five louis,’’ said he, ‘‘which I give to the 8 o _fasileers; I owe them something for ¢heir trouble.” ae te oe el 5 Stes ‘a ed 54 aa lieutenant i in full uniform appeared upon the threshold SS . i” “Songennt Belle-Rose, forward!”’ said he. Comicbooks