Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 333: what you’re looking at

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

— vy AOS : A SPY. 315 Mériset was seen leaning forward, protecting with his hand the flame of a candle. ‘“Who goes there?’’ said he, in a somewhat disturbed Voice. ‘‘Descend quickly!’’ murmured Belle-Rose, ‘‘I will tell you when vou are closer.’’ On hearing this well-known voice, Monsieur Mériset hastily closed the shutter, and ran to the stair-way. But at the same time that he was a thoroughly devoted man, Monsieur Mériset was a very prudent proprietor. Not being quite sure of the acuteness of his hearing, and wish- ing to avoid any disagreeable surprise, he opened a peep- hole cut in the door and looked at his interlocutor. Belle- Rose was also being looked at by a third personage, whose presence he did not suspect in this part of the Rue du Pot-de-Fer. This personage was no other than the lackey whom he had seen sleeping under a porch. At the first stroke of the knocker the sleeper opened his eyes; at the second, he straightened himself up to learn whence the noise came; at the third, he walked in the direction of Monsieur Mériset’s house. From the manner in which he set his feet upon the ground, keeping close to the wall, it was evident that the pretended lackey had some interest not to be perceived. Theend of a long rapier protruded from his cloak, and at the moment when he had risen, a pair of pistols had shone in company with a poniard in his leathern belt. From door to door, this rascal gained an obscure corner from which it was easy for him to see without being seen. When the light fell full upon the nocturnal visitor, the spy leaned forward and examined him curiously. But Belle-Rose turned his back to him, and he could only distinguish the outlines of his form. ‘*TIs it indeed you?’’ asked the suspicious proprietor. “Look quickly and open quickly,’’ Belle-Rose answered him, uncovering his face. Monsieur Mériset smiled and drew the bolts. The spy had heard nothing, these words having been pronounced quite low; but the smile and action of Monsieur Mériset did not escape him. He very wisely concluded from it that the visitor was one of the frequenters of the house, and that he must have some urgent affair to arrive at this hour. The door half opened and Belle-Rose passed through it; but in shutting it, he turned toward the street, and the light which Monsieur Mériset held in his hand suddenly lit up the face of Belle-Rose, whose cloak had not been S (C(O) =} (E(0) Mmicooo