Belle-Rose — page 267: what you’re looking at

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

a ; —— 256 ae THE SIEGE OF THE CONVENT. ‘I understand,’’ said Monsieur Mériset; ‘‘it is again for. affairs of state.’? ‘‘As you wish. It is agreed, is it not?’’ ‘The house is yours. ’”’ Déroute had taken care not to give up the cabinet where he had established his observatory. It might be a means of establishing communications with the interior of the convent, aS soon as it could be made known to Suzanne that her friends were seeking her. Belle-Rose’s impatience did not permit him to wait; he set out to invest the place the very next day The plan of the campaign was the invention of Claudine. She dressed like an Irishwoman, and mounting the carriage with Cornelius, she had herself taken to the convent in the Rue du Cherche-Midi. Cor- nelius, who was from Connaught, spoke English almost as well as if he had been from Middlesex. Claudine had quickly learned the tongue of her betrothed, and she already*spoke it with ease. They arrived before the door — of the convent, where, after having rang, they were re- ceived by the attendant. “Will you,’’? Cornelius said to her, with an English ac-. cent too pronounced not to be affected, request the superior © to kindly come down to the parlor.’’ ‘Is it for a pressing affair?’’ asked the attendant. “You will say to her that it is a question of a young lady, whom her brother, an Irish gentleman, intends to leave at the convent, where, if she chooses, she can renounce her rank.’’ At these words the attendant bowed, and, making the two strangers sit down, disappeared through a little door which opened upon a gallery. | “This is the way we must introduce ourselves,’’ said Claudine, quite low to Cornelius, when they were alone; ‘‘you are my brother, your name is Sir Ralph Hastings, and lam Miss Harriet Hastings, your sister; I am seized with a ereat devotion which leads me to enter @ con-— vent.’ After amoment the attendant came back and. showed Claudine and Cornelius into the parlor. The superior was there. | ““T have been informed of the object of your visit to this — holy house,’’ said Mother Evangélique; ‘‘we never refuse to open our arms to hearts which wish to consecrate them- selves to God.’’ ‘“T thank you, my mother,’’ replied Claudine, in a sweet voice which seemed to come from an English mouth. Z A an as comicbooks