Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

18 THE FIRST TEARS. rambles over the country. It wasa time of troubles and wars; nothing was talked about except cities attacked, camps surprised, and murderous expeditions. Cardinal Mazarin and the king’s party struggled against Parlia- ment, the princes, and the Spaniard. Monsieur de Condé held the country, sometimes conqueror, sometimes con- quered; but up to this time the town of St. Omer, pro- tected by a good garrison, had not suffered from the enemy’s depredations. Jacques would have left long since, if he had not been detained by the charm which he experi- enced in living near Mademoiselle de Malzonvilliers. This sentiment was so much the more imperious that he took no account of it. Chance, that great architect of the fu- ture, caused him to read his heart. One day, as he was seated in a corner of the garden, head bowed and rolling a dagger between his fingers, his sister Claudine came and softly struck him on the shoulder. Jacques trembled. “‘Of what are you thinking?’’ said the frolicsome child to her brother. ‘*T do not know.’’ ‘‘Do you wish me to tell you? You are thinking of Mam ’selle Suzanne, ’”’ “Why of her rather than of another’?’ exclaimed Jacques, somewhat confused. ‘*Because Suzanne is Suzanne.’’ ‘*Beautiful reason !’’ ‘“‘Very good,’’ replied the child, whose mischievous smile half parted her vermilion lips. ‘‘Oh, I understand!’’ “Then, explain yourself. ”’ ‘‘Hold, Jacques,’’ added Claudine, taking on a serious air, ‘‘you are thinking of Mam’selle Suzanne because you love her.’’ Jacques blushed to the roots of his hair; he rose with a bound; a new trouble filled his soul, and a thousand con- fused sensations animated him. ‘‘Heavens! what is the matter with you?’’ exclaimed Claudine, frightened at the sudden change which had takan place in her brother’s features. ‘*Listen to me, my sister; you are only a little girl——”’ “‘T will be fifteen when the apricots come,’’ said the child. ‘*But,’’ continued Jacques, ‘‘it is said that little girls understand these things better than grown boys. Why have you told me that I love Mam’selle Suzanne? It may be that I do, but I do not know it.”’ ‘*Bless me! that is to be seen at the first glance, I cannot Eomichbooks (€(0) im