Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 200: what you’re looking at

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

186 A DIPLOMATIC MISSION. been charged with a mission for Monsieur de Louvois. On reaching Chantilly, Belle-Rose went to see the prince’s intendant, who counted out to him the sum agreed upon. Having arrived at the house, accompanied by Déroute, whom he left before the door with the horses, Belle-Rose entered the garden by himself. ‘Monsieur Bergame?’’ said he toa litte boy who was plucking fruit. The little boy, who was pale and sickly looking, looked at Belle-Rose with a cunning air. ‘On whose part do you come?’’ said he, with an Italian accent. ‘‘On my own,’’ replied Belle-Rose. The little boy saluted him politely. “It is very well, monsieur, but Monsieur Bergame being very busy cannot receive you at present. You will have to come again.’’ ‘*Ah!’’ thought Belle-Rose, ‘‘I am in for a siege.”’ Aloud he said: ‘‘Can you not say to Monsieur Bergame that it concerns a@ very important affair?’’ ‘*For whom, monsieur?’’ said the child, with a simple air which concealed great cunning. ‘Kh, but for him!’’ exclaimed Belle-Rose. ‘‘Pardon me, monsieur,’’ said the child, in a wheedling tone, ‘‘but it is generally the case that strangers who desire to enter always have important affairs to treat.’’ Belle-Rose felt like seizing the little rascal by the neck and gagging him; but there were people passing along the road, and he did not know the inmates of the house; it was no time to employ violence. ‘‘Come,’’ he replied, with the air of a man who makes up his mind to speak, ‘‘since you wish to know all, take this louis for yourself and run to tell Monsieur Bergame that it is a question of receiving a hundred thousand livres.’’ At sight of the gold, the eyes of the little fellow sparkled. His fingers seized the piece like the claws of a devil-fish, and he requested Belle-Rose to follow him. **Knavish, but avaricious!’’ thought Belle-Rose; ‘‘one vice corrects the other.’’ The child left Belle-Rose in a hall on the ground floor, climbed the stair-way which led to the upper story, and came down again two minutes later. ‘*Follow me, monsieur,’’ said he to Belle-Rose, ‘‘Mon- sieur Bergame is up there waiting for you.”’ The little boy introduced Belle-Rose into a square room