Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 295: what you’re looking at

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

BY THE AID OF FIRE. 279 his eyes turned incessantly toward the door through which Claudine was accustomed to descend to the garden. Dé- route was cutting the branches around him. “Kh! my nephew, what are you doing there?’’ exclamed the old Jerome; ‘‘you are massacring that tree.’’ “Tam killing it,’’ coldly replied the nephew; ‘‘this tree absorbed the nourishment of its neighbors. Do you not see that if these apricot trees have no fruit, it is the fault of this plum tree?’’ The assurance of Déroute stupefied Jerome, who bowed before the science of his nephew. ‘Toward noon Claudine appeared Déroute’s arm was tired of cutting, Claudine was very pale. She threw her eyes around her. Jerome was gardening in one corner; she approached Déroute. ‘‘Extend your apron as :f for cherries, and we will talk,’’ he said to her. ‘‘Did you hear that shot?’’ said Claudine. “It gave me a chill, mam/’zelle.”’ ‘‘Do you think that one of them has been wounded?”’ ‘*‘No; I was prowling under the wall. Bouletord has sworn fearfully, and that has made me understand that he has failed to hit anything.”’ ‘What a terrible night, my God! But, alas! everything is not finished.’’ ‘*What is the matter now?”’ ‘‘Suzanne is to be taken to-night I know not where to the Bastile, perhaps.”’ “*To-night?’’ ‘*Mother Evangélique told her so just now. Monsieur de Louvois has been informed of the adventures of this night, and though they have failed, he does not wish them to be renewed. It is impossible to now warn Cornelius or Belle- Rose. What must we do, my God?”’ **T will warn them myself,’’ said Déroute, whose excel- lent physiognomy took on a ferocious expression. ‘‘Go —e mam ’zelle, and in case of alarm, hold yourself r * i Claudine left with a lighter heart. Déroute came down from the tree, ran to the lodge, and returned with a large, red handkerchief, which he attached to the highest branch of the cherry tree. **What are you doing there?’’ sked Father Jerome. “‘Faith,’’ said he, ‘‘the cat-birds have eaten half the cherries; it is for saving the rest.’’ “Hold! your idea is good, my nephew.”’ **Yes, I sometimes have that kind.’’ (E(0) Mico 0) S (E(0) =}