Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 385: what you’re looking at

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

THE RUE DE L’ARBRE SEC. 367 which Grippard held in one hand, in the other sparkled a naked sword. Déroute had cut the horses’ reins and was waiting for an order to act. ‘‘Monsieur,’’ exclaimed Monsieur de Charny, ‘‘there must be some mistake. I do not know you.”’ ‘‘You will know me when one of us is stretched out upon the ground.”’ ‘But it is a trap.”’ ‘Tt is a duel.”’ ‘¢ And if I do not wish to fight?’’ ‘‘You are the master as to that, but you will die more surely and more quickly.’’ Belle-Rose called Déroute with a sign of his head, and drawing forth his watch, he looked at it in the red light of the torch. ‘‘You have three minutes in which to decide,’’ said he; ‘tat the third if you are not ready, this man will blow out your brains with a pistol as he would kill a venomous beast. ”’ Déroute took a pistol from his belt and loaded it. Mon- sieur de Charny felt chilled to the marrow of his bones. He waited two minutes; the silence was so profound that one could hear the creaking of the weather-cocks upon the roofs. The coachman held to his seat with both hands to keep from falling. At the third minute, Monsieur de Charny drew his sword. ‘‘T am ready, monsieur,’’ said he. Through his fright, a sudden idea had come to reanimate his failing courage. Now he no longer feared to die; he believed that he would conquer. Belle-Rose put himself on guard, Grippard approached, raising the torch. Déroute shoved his pistol back in his belt, and the two blades were crossed. Monsieur de Charny displayed, from the very first, all the finesse of his sword-play; confidence had nerved his hand and augmented his resources; but of his sword Belle-Rose made a cuirass; everywhere steel en- countered steel. It was plain that each of the duelists wished to kill his adversary. Their feet seemed glued to the soil, and their swords, rapid and flexible, were inter- laced like luminous serpents. Monsieur de Charny’s left hand rested upon his hip, but it glided by an imperceptible movement toward his trousers pocket. All at once, and after a thrust and parry by Belle-Rose, which stained with | some drops of blood the gentleman’s sleeve just above the elbow, this hand reappeared armed with a pistol. The Weapon was raised and the shot fired; but Belle-Rose, (E(0) mMmicooo 3