Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 272: what you’re looking at

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

256 THE SIEGE OF THE CONVENT. ‘I understand,’’ said Monsieur Mériset; ‘‘it is again for affairs of state.’’ ‘‘As you wish. It is agreed, is it not?”’ ‘‘The house is yours. ’”’ Déroute had taken care not to give up the cabinet where he had established his observatory. It might be a means of establishing communications with the interior of the convent, as soon as it could be made known to Suzanne that her friends were seeking her. Belle-Rose’s impatience did not permit him to wait; he set out to invest the place the very next day. The plan of the campaign was the invention of Claudine. She dressed like an Irishwoman, and mounting the carriage with Cornelius, she had herself taken to the convent in the Rue du Cherche-Midi. Cor- nelius, who was from Connaught, spoke English almost as well as if he had been from Middlesex. Claudine had quickly learned the tongue of her betrothed, and she already spoke it with ease. They arrived before the door of the convent, where, after having rang, they were re- ceived by the attendant. ‘*Will you,’’ Cornelius said to her, with an English ac- cent too pronounced not to be affected, request the superior to kindly come down to the parlor.’”’ ‘Ts it for a pressing affair?’’ asked the attendant. ‘You will say to her that it isa question of a young lady, whom her brother, an Irish gentleman, intends to leave at the convent, where, if she chooses, she can renounce her rank.’’ At these words the attendant bowed, and, making the two strangers sit down, disappeared through a little door which opened upon a gallery. “This is the way we must introduce ourselves,’’ said Claudine, quite low to Cornelius, when they were alone; ‘‘vyou are my brother, your name is Sir Ralph Hastings, andIam Miss Harriet Hastings, your sister; I am seized with a great devotion which leads me to enter a con- vent.’”’ After a moment the attendant came back and showed Claudine and Cornelius into the parlor. The superior was there. ‘I have been informed of the object of your visit tv this holy house,’’ said Mother Evangélique; ‘‘we never refuse to open our arms to hearts which wish to consecrate them- selves to God.’’ ‘‘T thank you, my mother,’’ replied Claudine, in a sweet yoice which seemed to come from an English mouth, ri iboo (E(0) =)