Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 133: what you’re looking at

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

A WOMAN’S HAND. 121 Believing that the crowd wished to deliver the prisoner by violence, the lieutenant in command of the escort gave orders to close the ranks and make ready arms. But at the moment the order was being executed a man on horse- back was seen to rush through the city gate. The man was covered with mud and dust, the horse was panting, and its flanks, white with foam, were stained with drops of blood. The cavalier, no longer having a voice to cry out, brandished in the air a paper sealed with red wax. The crowd made way for him with a thousand cries of joy, and the cavalier came up at a gallop, as Monsieur de Nau- crais was running, sword in hand, toward the cortege whose ranks opened. The horse passed like a thunderbolt and fell at the major’s feet; but the cavalier was already on his feet, and presenting the paper stamped with the royal seal. The officers grouped themselves around the major; the crowd was silent, and a thousand soldiers, for- getting discipline, inclined their heads forward. They could hear nothing, but they listened. Disorder prevailed everywhere. All at once the circle of officers was broken, and Monsieur de Naucrais, holding the paper in one hand and his hat in the other, rode away at a headlong pace. His countenance, so mournful an hour before, was radiant. He waved his hat inthe air, and in a thundering voice cried, ‘‘ Vive le roi!’ It was not yet known of what it was a question, and all the soldiers and all the people re- sponded at the same time, and the cry of, ‘‘ Vive le roi!’’ rolled like a clap of thunder from the ramparts to the plains beyond. Then all was silent. You might have heard the lark singing in the depths of the sky. Monsieur de Naucrais raised himself in his stirrups. ‘*Sergeant Belle-Rose, approach!’’ he exclaimed. Belle-Rose advanced ten steps. ‘‘Jacques Grinedal, otherwise known as Belle-Rose, ser- geant in the company of cannoneers,’’ continued Monsieur de Naucrais, ‘‘the king, our master, acquits you and dis- charges you from the penalty of death which you have in- ___ eurred through the crime of desertion, and permits you to --__- resume the dress and insignia of your grade. Therefore -__—s ibe it done according to his will. Vive le roi!’’ The whole troop repeated this cry, at the same time placing their hats upon the ends of their guns, and the —-~__-growd clapped their hands with transports of joy. Belle- _ Rose could have been pardoned for thinking himself an important personage. The youth, good looks, and courage _of the condemned, had for an hour transformed him into ; x = > Ne ame a % Vp ¥ -\* : .F j 5 we’ = tb r r a es ae : . ne . Oo Sv DAS eee Comicbooks £ 77 + s ’ Ae = FS S So eS za at Y A a = . > . ,