Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 332: what you’re looking at

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

314 A SPY. they recognize you, in company with this little fellow? This child is our providence. ”’ But providence slept with all his heart. Déroute had seated him before him and was sustaining him between his arms. When they were near the Barriere du Maine, Belle- Rose got down off his horse. ‘You are going to the Rue du Roi-de-Sicile, to Monsieur de Pomereux’s,’’ said he to the sergeant; ‘‘whatever hap- pens, you will be in safety there.”’ ‘*And you?’”’ ‘‘T am going to the honest Monsieur Mériset’s.’’ ‘*Alone?’’ ‘*No, with my sword.’’ “On foot?’’ ‘‘Certainly! the shoes of a horse are indiscreet; they will tell the whole quarter whence I come and whither I am going.’’ Déroute looked turn by turn at the captain and the child. ‘‘Supposing we all three go there,’’ he finally said. ‘‘My honest sergeant,’’ replied Belle-Rose, ‘‘that would be to expose the little fellow without any profit to us.’’ He threw his horse’s bridle to Déroute, and while the one was taking his way to the Rue du Roi-de-Sicile by way of the Rue St. Jacques, the other took the direction of the Rue du Pot-de-Fer St. Sulpice. The night was dark; a great wind was blowing which chased the huge clouds across the sky; the weather-cocks were creaking upon the roofs, and the ill-adjusted planks of the old doors creaked upon their trembling hinges. At times immovable stars were seen to sparkle between the rents in the clouds. Belle-Rose drew his cloak around his shoulders, saw to it that his sword and poniard played freely in their scab- bards, and plunged into the Faubourg St. Germain. He reached the Rue du Pot-de-Fer St. Sulpice by way of the Rue de Vangirard. As he turned the corner of the street, he saw a man concealed under a porch, and sleeping with his cloak rolled around him and his hat drawn down over his eyes. Belle-Rose thought that it was a lackey who had fallen there on leaving some cabaret, and he passed on. The house of the honest Monsieur Mériset seemed, at this advanced hour of the night, the most silent of all the silent houses of the quarter; the shutters were well closed, and not a ray of light came through their interstices. Belle-Rose raised the knocker and struck. At the third stroke the shutter of a window fashioned above the door slowly opened, and the patriarchal head of Monsieur 4 i Pir ; . ; . 4 . "ns " = CaM, GComicbooks.com