A Gentleman from Gascony: A Romance of the Huguenots — page 168: what you’re looking at

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

164 A GENTLEMAN FROM GASCONY. trying to draw him away, so that Gabrielle could es- cape to the house. But Goujon had recovered himself. After all, she was only a woman, and a very pretty one at that. “Pass! Nay, my dear, you are my prisoner,” he said, and, with a clumsy attempt at gallantry, made < movement to pass his arm about her waist. But in a second he recoiled in terror, with a cry of: “Ah! you serpent!’ For Mirza had eluded his grasp and stood before him with a small dagger glittering in her uplifted hand. “Beware the serpent’s sting!” she threatened, half laughing at the sergeant’s dismay. “Hola! Hola! within there!” roared Goujon with all the strength of his lungs, his knees shaking with fear. “Within there! Somebody! Help me to arrest this sorceress! this witch!” It was now the gypsy’s turn to be frightened. The coward’s cries would arouse the house. And the chev- alier might arrive at any moment. “Silence! in mercy’s sake, silence!” she entreated. “And go! Go at once!” But Goujon’s sharp eyes discovered her terror, and he regained something of his swaggering courage as her alarm increased. | “Not till I have you safe under lock and key, as I have already your defender, the Huguenot chevalier!” Mirza started. “The chevalier! It is false!” she cried. “By the corns of Saint Ursula, you’ll find it true. He’s only a stone’s throw from here, safe in the Chate- let prison, and will be most assuredly shot at day- break.” A sharp cry broke upon the still air, and Mirza caught Gomicbooks €o