Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 280: what you’re looking at

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

264 THE GARDENER’S NEPHEW. ‘*Ah, bah!’’ ‘Oh! my God, yes! but a Patu of a different branch, a Patu from Soissons, cousin of your uncle Jerome Patu.”’ ‘You are still of the family, let you be from Beaugency or from Soissons.”’ ‘‘Certainly, the name is everything, the country noth- ing; I say, then, that I am a Patu—Antoine Patu, called Patu Blondinet.’’ “That is a funny nickname.”’ “Yes, very funny. I get it from the color of my hair.”’ ‘*In that respect I also would be a Blondinet,’’ said Am- brose, laughing. ‘‘That would make two Blondinets in the family,’’ re- plied Déroute, who kept on filling the glass of Ambrose Patu. ‘‘Now, when my Cousin Jerome had learned of your arrival, he said something like this to me: ‘Antoine, my friend, go see your nephew, and when you have treated him well, send him back immediately to the country.’ ”’ ‘*What!’’ exclaimed Ambrose, letting fall his fork. ‘‘Uniless it pleases him to become a monk,’’ he has added. ‘‘But he has had me to come for being a gardener, and . not for being a monk!’’ said Ambrose, who picked up again a piece of rabbit with the end ot his fork. ‘That was because just then Jerome did not know all. The king has issued an edict.’’ ‘*What have I to‘do with the edict?’’ ‘‘Drink this glass of white wine and you will under- stand better.’’ Ambrose took the glass and pricked up his ears. ‘‘This is how it is,’’ continued Déroute: ‘‘The edict of the king prescribes that all individuals employed in the interior of convents must take the frock; where there are nuns he wishes that there should be monks. ”’ “It is abominable. ”’ ‘Certainly, but it is the king’s will.”’ ‘*What will Catherine say, who is waiting for me in the country.’’ “That is just what Jerome said to me this morning; that poor Catherine, what will become of her? After all this can be arranged, you will become a monk, my dear Ambrose, and Catherine will marry somebody else.”’ **No! no!’’ exclaimed Ambrose, ‘‘I have promised Cath- erine to marry her, and I will marry her.”’ ‘I believe you! a pretty girl!’’ **You have seen her?’’ (E(0) 5 iGbooks.co