Belle-Rose — page 27: what you’re looking at

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16 | THE FALCONER’S SON. | blouse here, near the shoulder, and has scratched me, I believe. ’ ‘You are a valiant fellow, upon my faith,’’ said the gen- tleman; ‘‘if you ever enroll yourself under the flag of His Majesty, King Louis, you will make your way. Come, have you the valise?”’ ‘*It is upon the croup of the horse.’ ‘‘Poor Phoebus! You have had a lak time, hey?’’ said ; the stranger, gayly passing his hand over the horse’s neck. Phoebus rubbed his foaming nostrils against the gentle- man’s coat, pricked up his ears at his master’s voice, neighed, and struck the soil with his foot. ‘“You have been pursued, then?’’ continued the stranger, as he unstrapped the valise. ‘At a league from Witternesse I left the main road in order to avoid Spanish marauders,’’ replied Jacques. ‘Two leagues farther on, near Blaudecques, I fell into the midst of hussars and imperials who were roving the coun- try. They pushed me closely for a quarter of an hour. But Phoebus has good legs. At the entrance to the wood they lost track of me. Ah! I forgot! Bergame has charged me with a letter for you. Here it is.”’ The gentleman broke the seal, and Spa aa the win- dow, he read ‘rapidly in the light of a lamp. ‘Tt is well, my child. If we should meet some day, in whatever situation we should find each other, you can ap- peal to the guest of Guillaume Grinedal; he will recol- lect.’ At dawn the stranger mounted Phoebus, who had forgot- ten, between a fresh litter and two bushels of oats, the fa- | tigues of the evening. The stranger wore the costume of an Artois peasant. ‘‘Adieu, Guillaume,’’ he said to the falconer, giving him his hand; ‘‘I offer you nothing. Your hospitality is such as cannot be paid, and I should fear to offend you by giv- ing you gold. Take my hand, and press it without fear. Under whatever dress I may conceal myself, it is, 1 swear. to you, the hand of a loyal gentleman. As to you, friend Jacques, preserve that honest heart and that determined courage, and fortune will come to your aid; if God spares me, I will pray him to furnish me an occasion to aid you as you have aided me.’’ Jacques’ great black eyes shone witha proud joy as he gazed upon the stranger. In spite of his deformed shoulder, the pretended merchant from Arras seemed more noble and more imposing than al the officers of the king whom (aie) eEomicbooks