Belle-Rose — page 186: what you’re looking at

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

A SOUL IN PAIN. ane 175 town, she took a road to her right, gained the country around Laudely, and stopped at a hundred steps from the banks of the Sambre, before a hunting pavilion whose door was opened to her by a species of guard. Monsieur de Villebrais, not seeing her leave, coasted the banks of the river, found a ford, urged on his horse, and traversed the Sambre. After having hitched his horse to the trunk of an old willow, he softly directed his course toward the pavilion, made the tour of it, and when he had recognized those within, he again took up the route to Charleroi, leaving his acolyte as a sentinel in the underwood. At sunset Monsieur de Villebrais had gathered together four or five of his men, and had given them a rendezvous at Laudely. Each of his followers was to go there alone. As to himself, he lay down inaditch on the border of the road where Madame de Chateaufort had followed and waited. Meanwhile, at the hour agreed upon, Belle-Rose saw Camille advancing. She was riding a beautiful Span- ish genet. ‘*Are you ready?’’ the false page said to him. Belle-Rose’s sole reply was to leap upon a horse which Grippard was holding by the bridle. Both of them set out. They had not made a quarter-of a league when they heard a cavalier flying at headlong speed over the route. Belle- Rose turned back, and, in -the semi-obscurity, he recog- nized his brother who was only a moment reaching him. Belle-Rose gave him his hand, and all three, leaning over the croup of their horses, passed like phantoms. Monsieur de Villebrais arose, and a bitter smile lit up his counten- ance. , FR “Tf Madame de Chateaufort delivers him to me,’’ said he, ‘‘I can well afford to pardon her.”’ At the end of an hour he saw, among the trees on the other side of the Sambre, a trembling light. Monsieur de Villebrais applied the whip to his horse, and leaning over his horse’s mane, he began to search for the ford. He thought he recognized a stone which he had remarked during the evening, and he boldly threw himself into the water. Meanwhile Camille and Belle-Rose reached the pavilion of Laudely. The guard introduced them into an ante- chamber, where Camille stopped. Belle-Rose penetrated a second room, in which Madame de Chateaufort was wait- ing for for him. Pierre had seated himself at the door of the pavilion. Genevieve welcomed Belle-Rose with a sad smile, Gomicbooks (E(0)