Belle-Rose — page 215: what you’re looking at

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

204 WHAT WOMAN WISHES, GOD WISHES, Suzanne knelt down near the bed; she had well under- ~ stood from Monsieur d’Albergotti’s air that something strange and mysterious was passing in him. Monsieur d’Albergotti placed both of his hands upon his young wife’s forehead and prayed. Presently his hands grew heavy and cold. Suzanne parted them and looked at her husband. The old captain had just surrendered his soul to Gol. Madame d’Albergotti kissed him on the forehead, and went to kneel under the image of Christ, where she passed the night in prayer. After she had paid the last tributes to her husband’s remains she commanded a car- riage and horses. Claudine had never seen her so prompt and resolute. ‘Is it to Paris that we are going?’’ she said to her. ‘No! The king is in Flanders, it is to Flanders that I am going. Iam free now, and Belle-Rose is suffering.’’ While Suzanne was flying over the route to Lille, the captive, overwhelmed by the intolerable sufferings which he had experienced, remained stretched out in his bed. His mind was covered by a vail. The fourth day he rose up. The turnkey, who had already slipped a paper in his hand, came to him and let fall at his feet another rolled paper. Belle-Rose picked it up and found upon it these words: ‘If you are sick, remain sick; if you are not, pretend to be so.”’ This time it was Suzanne’s writing. Belle-Rose con- cealed the paper over his heart, went to ped again and waited. Meanwhile Cornelius and Déroute had arrived at Paris, urged on by an uneasiness which they did not seek to subdue. Monsieur de Naucrais had anticipated the de- sires of the sergeant by giving him an unlimited leave. ‘*Here is a signature which prevents my deserting,’’ said Déroute, pressing the paper. ‘‘When I was commanding the drill and thinking of my lieutenant, my halberd was - like a red-hot iron in my hands.”’ ‘‘Go,’’ said Monsieur de Naucrais, ‘‘and attempt every- thing to save him. If we were not before the enemy, you should not leave alone.’ As to Madame de Chauteaufort, she went from the Bas- tille to Monsieur de Louvois, mournful and despairing. This time the proud and valiant Spanish woman felt her- self conquered. One day as she was alone in her oratory, — she saw Madame d’Albergotti enter. Forgetting at the — same time both her abandoned love and her devouring jealousy, she ran to her rival and seized her hands, cComicbooks.co