Belle-Rose — page 210: what you’re looking at

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

mS ec THE ARGUMENTS OF A MINISTER. 199 = Belle-Rose did not reply. ‘“‘Have you heard me, monsieur?’’ exclaimed the min- -ister. ‘‘Perfectly.’”’ “Why do you not speak; then?”’ ‘The truth is that it is impossible for me to do so.”’ ‘*And why?”’’ “Tf I told you that I have taken them for uate and of my own volition, would you believe me?”’ “Certainly not.” “Then you think [am the repository of a person who has placed his confidence in me. ‘T'o speak would be a cowardice which you would not seriously propose to me; you see, then, monseigneur, that I ought to be silent.’ s “This is all you have to say?”’ **You should be convinced of it by this time.’’ “IT might believe it, monsieur, did we not have here marvelous instruments for snatching words from those who are most mute.”’ ‘“T'ry,’’ said Belle-Rose, and he crossed his arms upon his breast. | -Monsieur de Louvois looked at him a moment without speaking, and then arose. Upon a sign of his hand, the officer who had brought Belle-Rose took him back to his cell. When they were alone, the governor of the Bastile approached Monsieur de Louvois. ‘*Hold, monseigneur,’’ he said to him, *‘I know some- thing about faces. That is a young man whom we will not succeed in making speak. He will die; that is all.’’ ‘*We shall see,’’ murmured Monsieur de Louvois. Scarcely had Belle-Rose been recommitted to his cell than he ran to the window. Far away in the shadows of the night some lights were still shining. Belle-Rose went to sleep, calm and smiling. The next day was passed without any new incident coming to disturb the prisoner in his meditations. About the dinner hour a turnkey slipped into his hand a slip of paper and moved away, his finger upon his lips. Belle-Rose opened the paper and ; found only these words, ‘‘A friend is watching over you.”’ At the first glance he recognized the handwriting of Gene- vieve. ‘Poor woman!’’ said he, between two sighs, ‘she recol- lects, and it is of Suzanne Tam thinking.’”’ When night had come, Belle-Rose approached the win- dow, and as on the evening before, he began to count the trembling lights which shone in the darkness. For an Ca(oy paylicel evoKo) << €o