A Gentleman from Gascony: A Romance of the Huguenots — page 187: what you’re looking at

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

BENEATH THE SHADOW OF THE AXE. 183 bette,” muttered Griffo, with a maudlin look of what was meant to be tenderness (surely it was wonderful how quickly the wine had taken effect). “But the longer the better. You won’t drink, my dear. That’s not sociable.” “No, but I’ll do something better than that,” replied the pretended Babette, with an arch glance, which con- vinced the soldier that he had made a conquest. “What can be better?” he asked, with a leer. “A kiss?” “No, no, that may come afterward,” she laughed, warding him off with a gesture which was far more alluring than repellant. “But Ill sing, if you’ll join in the chorus.” “A song in praise of love?” “No, in praise of the next best thing—of wine.” “By the mass! you’re right, and you’re a damsel of wit as well as of beauty. Pipe up, and I’ll join in.” Mirza took him by the arm and by imperceptible steps led him farther away from the tower, as she broke into a rollicking drinking-song: “Then fill, fill, oh fill! Let the can, let the can go round.” Who can blame her if her voice was a little unsteady? The critical moment had come, and there was so much at stake. However, Griffo noticed nothing. He was too intoxicated with the wine of the good fathers and the brightness of the girl’s eyes. Raoul was still studying the mysterious writing, when he was startled from its contemplation by a low- murmured: “Hist! hist! Monsieur!” Starting to his feet and turning to the window whence Comichbooks (<©@)