Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

54 THE DROPS IN THE CUP. commit a folly; you would afflict Monsieur d’Assonville and myself. You have an honest soul, have a strong heart. ’’ Belle-Rose pressed Monsieur de Naucrais’ hand and rushed out of the room. eer es er ee CHAPTER VII. THE DROPS IN THE OUP. A quarter of an hour after having quitted Monsieur de Naucrais, Belle-Rose, riding a rost-horse, was flying at full speed over the route toSt. Omer. At each relay he gave gold to the postilions. Belle-Rose fled like a bullet. When he perceived the steeple of St. Omer he had not said four words, but he had ridden down four horses. At the last relay he turned aside from the road and took his way through the fields in the direction of Malzonvilliers. The sounds of a bell came to him. Though it was not a holi- day, no one was at work. This solitude and these confused tollings oppressed the sergeant’s heart. He hastened on and reached the chateau in a breathless state. If silence pervaded the country, all was tumult and confusion at Malzonvilliers. All sorts of lackeys went and came, and the peasants were drinking and singing. Belle-Rose glided into the midst of this crowd which paid no attention to him; but, just as he was going to bound upon the terrace, the doors of the chateau opened wide, and a procession of richly costumed people appeared upon the threshold. The crowd uncovered themselves, the bells rang joyously, and Belle-Rose saw beyond the porch of a neighboring chapel, resplendent with a thousand lighted tapers. Before he had recovered from his emotion, the procession had passed under the porch vailed by the floating vapors of the in- cense. Belle-Rose followed it and concealed himself in a corner of the chapel. For some time he remained bowed like a young tree lashed by the wind; all the strength left to him he made use of in prayer to God. When he again raised his head, his first look fell upon the altar. A man with silvery hair, and a woman wearing a transparent vail, were kneeling upon velvet carpets. Nosooner than he saw this woman, Belle-Rose’s eyes were fixed immovably upon her. Drops of sweat beaded upon the soldier’s forehead; his temples seemed bound in aniron vise, his ears tingled (eco) pniice| ovoyo) S ( 3