Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

64 A HOUSE IN THE RUE CASSETTE. one might comein his absence, Monsieur Mériset remained seated ina small salon near the door, from morning to evening. The third day, Monsieur Mériset ran to Belle-Rose as soon as he saw him. Foran hour the inhabitants of the Rue du Pot-de-Fer St. Sulpice had seen Monsieur Méri- set promenading before his door and drawing out his watch every minute. The honest landlord accosted Belle- Rose, cap in hand, with an air at the same time myster- ious and delighted. ‘‘Well, Monsieur Belle-Rose?”’’ said he. ‘‘Well, Monsieur Mériset.”’ ‘‘Some one has come.’’ ‘*Ah! ah! a lady or a gentleman?’’ ‘A young lord richly dressed, with a mustache turned up at the corners, a pointed nose, and a distinguished ap- pearance. ’’ ‘*He has inquired after me?’’ ‘‘Certes, yes, without saluting, as gentlemen do. ‘My good fellow,’ he has said to me, ‘is Belle-Rose here?’ ‘No, monseigneur,’ I have replied, standing with hatin hand. By his easy air I understood at once that I was dealing with a gentleman of the court. ‘Au diable!’ he continued. ‘You will tell him that I wish to see him. I shall expect him to-morrow.’ ”’ : ‘*Did he tell you his name?’’ 4 ‘No. 99 ‘*His address?’’ “No,.??' ‘‘Where the devil, Monsieur Mériset, shall I find him?”’ ‘*Oh, he has said nothing to me, he has written every- thing to you.’’ ‘‘Well and good, Monsieur Mériset, this is what you should have stated in the beginning.”’ Belle-Rose found upon a table a slip of paper, and upon this slip of paper these words: ‘‘Gaspard de Villebrais. ”’ ‘‘My lieutenant!’’ he exclaimed, ‘‘what can he want with me?’’ The simplest way, for knowing, was to go to the lieuten- ant’s lodging; this is what Belle-Rose did the next day. Monsieur de Villebrais informed him that he was at Paris on his own business, and at the same time on that of the company. ‘*T will attend to mine, and I depend on you to look after the other,’’ he added. ‘‘If you need me, you will find Gomicbooks (e(e)