Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 359: what you’re looking at

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

A PLEASANT JOURNEY. 341 as he was about to strike one of them on the shoulder an officer, followed by an orderly, came up at a gallop in the midst of the groups who surrounded the dwelling of the general. His face was joyous and animated. ‘‘My brother!’’ exclaimed Belle-Rose. ‘he colonel!’’ exclaimed Déroute. At this double cry, Monsieur de Naucrais—for it was he—turned round, and at the same glance he recognized the sergeant and the captain. ‘¢Belle-Rose!’’ exclaimed he, in his turn. And leaping from his horse, he threw himself into the arms of Belle-Rose, who, from those of the colonel, passed into those of Pierre. ‘At last!’’ said de Naucrais, ‘‘they have opened their claws!”’ ‘That is to say that I have left them.’’ ‘Well, morbleu! you shall not return to them. The army is a place of exile.’’ “Tt is a paradise!’’ murmured Déroute. Monsieur de Naucrais smiled as he looked at the sergeant, ‘*As to you,’’ said he, ‘‘if some one comes to seek you, you have a halberd for defending yourself.”’ Monsieur de Naucrais and Belle-Rose passed into the apartment of Monsieur de Luxembourg. At the colonel’s name, the general turned abruptly toward the door. ‘*Have you the order?”’’ he exclaimed. ‘“‘T have it,’’ answered Monsieur de Naucrais, drawing a dispatch from his coat; ‘‘you will soon have, monsieur le duc,’’ he added, ‘‘twenty occasions to signal your courage against the enemies of the king and the kingdom; another presents itself now to signal your generosity. Here is an officer who claims your protection.”’ ‘‘Captain Belle-Rose!’’ exclaimed the duke. And he ran to embrace the young man. “You have sought my support, and my support shall not fail you,’’ said he; ‘‘as I am the cause of the evil, it is my duty to repair it.”’ Belle-Rose wished to interrupt him; Monsieur de Luxembourg stopped him with a gesture. *‘Certainly ,’’ said he, ‘‘I have done what I could; but since I have not succeeded, I have done nothing. The fir- _ ing of the convent and the carrying off of Madame d’Alber- gotti caused my steps to fail when they were perhaps going to succeed. The king has seen in that incident an attack on religion, and you know his disposition on that score, (E(0) AANiceloy oy 0) 3