Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

132 THE DUC DE LUXEMBOURG. ‘*But how has it come about?”’ “T do not knowas yet! But what could you expect? Since his brother’s death, Monsieur de Naucrais has not been himself. ”’ ‘*But tell me how it happened.”’ “This is the way: You must first know that the Duc de Luxembourg has, by an order of the day, forbidden the soldiers to venture beyond a certain limit around the camp; above all he has prescribed, under penalty of death, the avoidance of every species of engagement with the enemy. The proclamation has been posted everywhere, and read at the mess. It is whispered around that Mon- sieur de Luxembourg wishes to wait for the arrival of the king before acting, who, as you know, is to take part in person in the operations. ’”’ ‘‘Drop the king, and come to Monsieur de Naucrais.”’ ‘‘Now, at noon to-day, Monsieur de Naucrais was riding on horseback in the direction of Gosselies. He was accom- panied by some officers of the queen’s dragoons and by the Nivernais regiment. A party of Spanish skirmishers had passed the Piélou and were pillaging a hamlet. All at once a cornet of dragoons, who had come straight from the court to the camp, draws his sword. ‘Devil take the orders!’ he exclaimed; ‘it shall not be said that an officer of the king saw the king’s flag burnt without unsheathing his sword.’ Hesets spurs to his horse and leaves. The officers stop. ‘Shall we leave him without defense, mes- sieurs?’ exclaims Monsieur de Naucrais, in his turn, who was urging on his horse in the direction of the hamlet. The rest follow him. ‘Mordieu! they are killing him,’ said the captain, ‘forward, and vive le roi!’ ”’ ‘You took part in the affair, then?’’ ‘‘Faith, being close by, I had seen the whole thing, and Ihave gone where my captain went. Monsieur de Nau- crais seemed a lion. Bare-headed, coat torn in twenty places, crying, ‘Vive le roi’ between each blow. The frightened Spaniards broke ranks. To sum up, we had lost thirty men, without counting the wounded; but we had the village and the redoubt. When we were masters of the place, Monsieur de Naucrais marshaled the officers around him. ‘Messieurs,’ he said to them, ‘we have committed a fault; itis grave. I am the most guilty—therefore it is : mine.’ ‘It is ours, too!’ cried these brave gentlemen. ‘Then, as the oldest one among you,’ continued the cap- tain, ‘it is my duty to render an account to the Duc de Luxembourg of what has taken place.’ Monsieur de Nau- o | ae - Eomichooks.com