Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 320: what you’re looking at

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

302 THE CHEVALIER )D’ARRAINES. Belle-Rose.and the terrible Irishman. I have deplored the fatality which has caused your sword to be broken at the moment when victory was going to declare itself for you.”’ ‘‘War has its ups and downs!’’ murmured Monsieur de Pomereux, with a gesture full of philosophy. ‘“Three seconds after, I have been touched even to tears at the narrative told me——”’ ‘Still Monsieur de Charny ”’ ‘‘Quite right—at the narrative told me, I say, of your constancy in keeping your sworn word. It is beautiful, it is grand, it is antique! Regulus would not have con- ducted himself better, and I imagine that the shade of Aristides ought to be jealous of you. It is a sublime trait, my cousin.”’ ‘‘You overwhelm me, monseigneur,’’ replied the count, with a modest air. ‘‘No, I do you justice. ’”’ say God! monseigneur, I have recollected our relation- ship.’ ‘That is what I have thought. For example, I have blessed Providence who took care that your sword did not break this time.’’ ‘The reason was that fortune owed me a revenge.”’ ‘‘Well, would you believe, my charming cousin, that this heroic conduct has not produced upon others the effect which it has produced on me.’’ **In truth?”’ ‘There are ill-formed minds which have wished to see in these marvelous adventures a determined effort to cross the authority of the king.”’ ‘*You don’t say so!’’ ‘‘And they have even gone so far as to assert that you were no longer worthy of His Majesty’s favor, and that I ought to withdraw my protection from you.”’ ‘‘As to that I am tranquil.’’ ‘‘How well you know me!’ exclaimed Monsieur de Lou- vois, bathing his lips in the jug of water; ‘‘I have repulsed these persons in a furious manner; but one of them, who is a friend of Monsieur Colbert, has observed to me that it was not under such circumstances a suitable thing toe charge you with a very delicate mission which I had re- served for you.’’ ‘‘And through respect for circumstances, you have con- fided the mission to another. ’’ ‘‘Should I have allowed myself to be accused of an odious partiality?’’ comicbooks.com \. oieai > 2