Belle-Rose — page 211: what you’re looking at

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

200: THE ARGUMENTS OF A MINISTER. hour or two he had been absorbed in this mute contempla- tion, when he heard footsteps in the corridor which bor- dered on his cell. The same officer who had come the - evening before advanced toward him, and in a grave voice asked him if he were disposed to follow him. Belle-Rose, for sole reply, walked toward the door. This evening the escort took a different route from that which it had fol- lowed the first time. After having threaded several som- ber corridors, traversed black vaults where the footsteps of the soldiers reverberated by the echoes sounded in ca- | dence, mounted and descended divers narrow and funereal stair-ways, they entered an oblong hall which was lit up by four flambeaux attached to the walls. A clerk was seated before a little table, on which was to be seen all that which were necessary for writing. Along the sides there shone in the red light of the torches sinister instru- ments of a strange form. At the foot of the wall were wooden horses, chains, and pincers; a chafing-dish was burning in an obscure recess, oak planks and mallets stained with blood were heaped together in one corner | along with cords and wedges. Near the clerk was seated a man dressed in black, whom Belle-Rose took for a phy- sician. The governor of the Bastile, sad and grave, was finishing reading a letter, two steps from the table. On the arrival of Belle-Rose, the governor crumpled up the letter, pushed a chair near the clerk’s table, and sat down, after having saluted the prisoner. From the preparations he saw, Belle-Rose understood that the hour had come; he recommended his soul to God, murmured the name of Suzanne as he would have done a prayer, and waited. ‘“You heard yesterday what Monsieur de Louvois said to you, monsieur,’’ the governor said to him; ‘‘do you still persist in your refusal to make known the name of the person who charged you with carrying off Monsieur Ber- game’s papers?”’ : aH do. +9 ‘“‘T must warn you that I have received orders to employ against you the means of which the law authorizes the use if you continue to keep silent.’’ ~ You will do your duty, monsieur; I will cages to do mine. ’ The governor was silent for some minutes; the clerk was writing down the replies. ‘“‘Therefore, monsieur, you have nothing more to de- clare?’’ said the governor, | ‘*Nothing.’’ (ee) cComicbooks