Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 153: what you’re looking at

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

WHEAT AND TARES. 141 your father; he calls me his son; I have seen Pierre, who wishes to be a soldier, in order to become a captain; I have here a letter from Claudine which proves to me that I am loved as much as I love—and you ask if there are happy days in life. But it is full of them.”’ Belle-Rose smiled. “*Bah !’ continued the young enthusiast, “‘if I ever meet another Claudine, I will give her to you, and you will be of my opinion.”’ ‘‘We will look around, but while waiting to find her, you will become my brother in arms.”’ ‘*“Yes, certainly; I am a volunteer, and I intend to help you take Brussells.”’ While talking of their affairs and their hopes, the two young men had strayed from the limes. The day was warm and beautiful; they pushed on into the country. As they were entering a sunken road, a gun was fired some distance away, and the ball flattened itself against a pebble, two steps from Belle-Rose. Cornelius rushed to the bank of the road. A light cloud of smoke was floating upon the edge of a hop field. ““Oh! oh!” he exclaimed, “‘those are Spanish marauders. ““T no longer see our camp.”’ ““Let us turn back, then,”’ replied Belle-Rose; “‘swords cannot compete with muskets.”’ Profiting by the hedges and ditches, Belle-Rose and Cor- nelius gained the approaches of the camp. The first sentry was only a hundred steps away, when Belle-Rose stumbled against a stump; at the same moment, two balls, passing above him, buried themselves in the trunk of an oak. “*Lucky fall!’’ said Belle-Rose, “‘I owe my life to it.”’ Some soldiers ran up on hearing this last shot, but the marauders had already disa They were traversing the camp when, at the turn of a street, Cornelius nudged Belle-Rose with his elbow. - “*Look,’’ he said to him. Belle-Rose raised his eyes and saw Monsieur de Ville- ing on horseback.