Belle-Rose — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XII... THE DREAMS OF A SUMMER DAY. For some days Belle-Rose remained concealed, a prey to a burning fever; the strength of his constitution, and the vigor of his will had at first succeeded in making. the eyil appear less than what it was; but he was finally forced to give way to the violence of the réaction which took - placeinhim. His body and mind were no longer able to _ offer any resistance. Very often, while the delirium made numberless dreams pass through his imagination, he thought he saw, leaning over his bed, a woman’s face half vailed by long ringlets of hair. Then he called Su- zanne in a voice broken by sobs, and his parched lips were slued to white hands which were abandoned to his kisses. But—strange thing!—in those hours when the love of | Belle-Rose was inflamed by all the fires of fever, the face of the unknown was turned aside, and all her body trem- bled Jike a branch shaken by the wind. A day came on which the patient was able to cast a more tranquil look around him. The silence was profound. In the transparent shadows of aroom where the light was intercepted by silken hangings, a woman, surrounded by the long folds of a white dress, was seated in a fauteuil. A scarcely fin- ished dream floated still before the eyes of Belle-Rose; he extended his arms to the deceitful image of his sweet- heart, and his mouth murmured softly the name of Su- Zanne. j | ‘‘Tam not Suzanne,’’ said the stranger. Belle-Rose propped himself up on his elbow and looked at her. The vail in which fever had imprisoned his soul disappeared like those vapors of the morning which are extinguished by the first beams of the sun. Belle-Rose recognized the duchess. A smile soft and sad illuminated her countenance. ‘It was you?’’ said he. “It is a friend whom vou did not call and who watched over you,’ replied the duchess. ‘‘But do not question me yet. I have orders to impose silence on you. Obey.”’ The duchess placed a finger upon her lips and softly forced the soldier to lie down again. But she herself was the first to forget the instructions which she had see necselt with seeing executed. THE DREAMS OF A SUMMER DAY. 89 “S €o GOmicboo