Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 296: what you’re looking at

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

280 BY THE AID OF FIRE. Belle-Rose and Cornelius had quitted at an early hour the Hotel de Pomereux and had disguised themselves in such a manner that Bouletord himself would not have recognized them. Belle-Rose mounted to the garret, after having observed the surroundings of the place. Cornelius had gone to the Roi David to wait for Grippard. As soon as Belle-Rose had seen the red handkerchief floating from the top of the cherry tree, he trembled and descended the stair-way four steps at a time. In three bounds he reached the Rue des Franco-Bourgeois-St. Michel. ‘‘Déroute is at work,’’ said he to Cornelius and Grip- pard; ‘‘I have seen the signal.”’ ‘The red handkerchief?’’ exclaimed Cornelius, quickly. ‘**Yes.’ ‘*Déroute is a firm and prudent fellow; the peril must be imminent. ”’ ‘*He will find us ready.”’ ‘*You have heard, Grippard, it is for this evening,’’ said Cornelius. Christopher, whom the alarm of the preceding night had rendered more circumspect by teaching him the danger of unbosoming himself to the police, promised to have the horses saddled and bridled at dusk and at a place which they designated near the convent. Meanwhile Déroute slipped in his pockets two pistols, of which he was as sure as of himself, and concealed under his coat a poniard, which he had more than once had occasion to handle. ‘‘The affair must come to a finish,’’ he said to himself ‘*the veritable Ambrose Patu may return at any time.”’ The evening came. Déroute left his lodge and traversed the garden. He had remarked, on the day of his entrance at the convent, a collection of sheds in which were heaped; all sorts of old furniture along with straw and hay for feeding three or four cows which the nuns kept. These sheds were fifty feet away from the main building. Dé- route went straight to them, and crouched down in a corner. He drew from his pocket a tinder-box, lita piece of touch-wood, slipped it under a pile of shavings and began to blow it with all his lungs; two minutes after a bright flame shot up. Déroute overturned two or three heaps of straw and went out drawing the door after him. He was not at the end of the avenue when the smoke came out through all the cracks. When he turned around, he saw the flames devouring the roof. Déroute began to run as fast as he could toward the convent, crying: **Fire! fire!’’ > a (E(0) iGbooks.¢o