Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 378: what you’re looking at

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

360 THE RUE DE L’ARBRE-SEC. is?’’ said Monsieur de Charny, with his eye upon the peasant. “Very well, since I often carry vegetables and milk there.”’ ‘Then you are known there?’’ ‘**Perfectly.’’ ‘“‘You are going then to carry this letter there, and as quickly as you can.”’ “That is not difficult, the distance is short and I have long legs.”’ “If you are questioned, answer that the basket and letter have been brought by a valet whose horse has fallen before your door.”’ ‘“Very well.”’ ‘‘T have promised you two crowns——”’ *‘T have understood three,’’ interrupted the rascal. ' ‘You will have four if you return in a quarter of an our.”’ ‘*T shall fly there. ”’ | In eight or ten minutes the peasant, who had taken a cut across the fields, reached the door of the abbey. The touriére opened the door, the peasant handed her the basket and letter, which were both to Suzanne’s address, and as she was accustomed to seeing him, he went away without being questioned. At the end of a quarter of an hour Monsieur de Charny saw him coming back. ‘‘It is done!’’ exclaimed the young peasant. ‘Here is your money,’’ replied Monsieur de Charny, whose eyes shone with joy. He remounted within his carriage and took up again the route to Paris. As he reached Franconville, Déroute, riding at full speed, passed like an arrow by the side of the carriage. Monsieur de Charny leaned out at the por- tiére, following with his eye the whirlwind of dust which mounted from under his horse’s feet. ‘*He will arrive too late this time,’’ murmured he, when he had lost sight of him. Déroute blindly obeyed the secret infiuence which pushed him on; the rapidity of his course, instead of diminishing his ardor, augmented it. He was about to pass before the house where Monsieur de Charny had stopped, when the strap to which the stirrup was attached broke. Déroute retained his horse’s bridle and dismounted. The peasant was still at his door, but this time he was pitching up crowns instead of sous. ‘*If itis a commission which you have for the Abbey of St. =) = (E(0) Eboo Ss (E(o)