A Gentleman from Gascony: A Romance of the Huguenots — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

1090 A GENTLEMAN FROM GASCONY. “Peste!” he cried. “The old fox has nine lives like a cat!” And, drawing his dagger, he stabbed the helpless ad- miral again and again. With one long-drawn sigh, the soul of the splendid old man passed to its Maker. Shuddering, the Duke of Guise passed his hand over his face, which was contorted as that of one in mortal agony. “Tis a good beginning,” he said in a hollow voice, and, nerving himself to the effort, he spurned the body with his foot. “Forward! Death to the Huguenots as the king commands!” “And Master Pare, Monseigneur?” asked Behm. “Release him. The king has exacted that his life shall be spared.” The physician advanced, and, kneeling by the side of the dead admiral, took his head in his lap. Guise gave him one contemptuous glance, and, turn- ing, strode rapidly from the room, followed by Behm and many of the others. “You are free, Master Raoul,” said Simon Beppa, releasing his captive, who rose to his feet and groaned in anguish as he saw that the bloody work had been consummated. “ Forgive my violence,” continued Beppa, “ but other- wise you would have shared his fate. And now I be- seech you to come with me. Single-handed, you can do nothing, and the Green Dragon will offer you a safe asylum.” | Reluctantly, the chevalier was forced to concede that the innkeeper was right and was about to assent to his proposition, when suddenly a man darted from the mass that were pushing their way through the rather GComicbooks;com