Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

60 A HOUSE IN THE RUE CASSETTE. CHAPTER VIII. A HOUSE IN THE RUE CASSETTE. Early the next day Monsieur d’Assonville ordered Belle- Rose into his apartment. Upon the table before which he was seated were to be seen some letters and divers scat- tered papers. The captain’s pallor, his weary eyes, indi- cated that he had passed the entire night in writing. ‘‘T have informed Monsieur de Naucrais that I need your services,’’ said he to Belle-Rose. ‘‘Your responsibility as a soldier has ceased, and from day to day the prolonga- tion of your leave will arrive. Are you ready to start?’’ ‘‘At any time.’’ ‘‘Perhaps there will be some dangerin executing the commission, and I must warn you of it.”’ ‘‘T only regret that this danger is not certain.’’ Monsieur d’Assonville raised his eyes to Belle-Rose, and giving him his hand, said: ‘‘Leave sadness to those who no longer hope. You are twenty, Belle-Rose, and twenty is the age of pleasure.’’ ‘‘And you thirty, captain; thirty is the age of passions.”’ ‘*You think so?’’ said the captain, with a smile. ‘‘It seems to me that I no longer have a heart.’’ He was silent a moment, then he resumed: ‘‘Godis supreme. Dismiss this and let us return to your journey. Here are three let- ters, my friend. Each of them contains a part of my life. Retain well what Iam going to say to you. On your ar- rival at Paris, you will take lodging in a street near the Luxembourg. Toward evening you will go to the Rue Cassette, at the corner of the Rue de Vangirard, taking care to carry with you the smallest of these three letters. You will strike at a low door giving upon a court planted with trees. At the third knock the door will be opened. You will display your letter and ask the person who an- swers your call to deliver it to Mademoiselle Camille. Bear this name well in mind, for itis not upon the letter. If you are told that she has gone, insist on its being deliv- ered to her brother Cyprien. The individual addressed will take the letter and you will withdraw, after having taken care to write plainly your name and address upon the envelope. ’’ “Well—Camille and Cyprien.’’ “If, after three days, you have received no reply, you Eom Eboo S {