Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 72: what you’re looking at

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

62 A HOUSE IN THE ROE CASSETTE. agitation of his mind; he made the journey to Paris ata gallop in order to repose himself. His first care, on arriv- ing at Paris, was to stop ata small furnished lodging on the ground floor of a house in the Rue du Pot-de-Fer St. Sulpice. The apartment, which was composed of a room and a large closet, was genteel and had a view opening upon some gardens. Belle-Rose paid two weeks in ad- vance, Monsieur d’Assonville having made it possible for him to cut a figure at Paris; then, drawing aside the pro- prietor, who was at the same time the concierge, he gave him a gold louis and recommended him to take care whom he admitted to see him. These manners won the inn- keeper’s heart; he doffed his cap. ‘‘My gentleman,’’ said he, ‘‘I have, though old, eyes to see, ears to hear, and a tongue to speak. You will be served as you desire.”’ ‘ois well. Only learn that I am not a gentleman. ’’ ‘‘So much the worse; men formed like you deserve to be marquises by birth.”’ ‘“You will call me Belle-Rose.’’ ‘‘T will call you as you wish; but you will not prevent me from saying that, if you are not really what I sup- posed, fate has acted like an ill-bred person.’ Belle-Rose threw a cloak around his anders slipped the smallest of the three letters into his pocket, and went out. ‘¢ All the same,’’ said the landlord, following him with his eye as he went along the walls of the Rue du Pot-de- Fer St. Sulpice, ‘‘he has wished to disguise himself—and that is his affair; but you cannot convince me but what he isa great lord. What a figure!’’ This exclamation answered his thought. It said: ‘‘What a louis!’’ Things happened as Monsieur d’Assonville had an- nounced to Belle-Rose. The low door opened only at the third knock; a woman, muffled in a head-dress which descended in front even to her eyes, and behind even to her neck, appeared upon the threshold. She cast upon Belle-Rose a keen glance which embraced him from head to foot, then lowered her eyes, crossed her arms, and waited. The house was full of cracks, shaky, and covered with moss. ‘This house must already have been old in the time of the League; it had a discreet appearance, a de- voted air, a mournful aspect. No stream of smoke issued from the chimneys, and the windows were closed. In the court grew enormous trees, and under their shade were =) i (E(0) Eboo S (e@ 3