A Gentleman from Gascony: A Romance of the Huguenots — page 200: what you’re looking at

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

196 A GENTLEMAN FROM GASCONY, A dark frown crossed the King of Navarre’s face, and for a moment it seemed as if he were about to strike the audacious questioner to his feet. Then a smile parted his thin lips. “TI like your spirit,” he said. “But itis for you to obey commands and leave higher questions to those above you. Is not the crown of France worth a mass?” The chevalier made no reply. “T see you blame me,” continued the king, with a somewhat sarcastic laugh, and yet not angrily. “ What is that to me? And why I answer you I do not know, save that I see in you that rare virtue—sincerity. Do you know your classics? If you do, you must remember what Tacitus says: ‘Oh! the happy time when each one can think what he likes and say what he thinks!’ That happy time has not yet arrived.” “And yet, sire——”’ began Raoul, and then paused. “Go on,” said Henri, with a good-natured smile. “TI am in a humor to hear you now, and I may not be again.” “Why, then, abandon the religion of which you are the leader, and so dishearten your followers?” “Abandon, never! I have simply laid it aside. Be- lieve me, it is better to recoil in order to leap the further, than to leap at once, when sure of falling short of your mark. How would it have benefited my follow- ers had I, in stubbornness, sacrificed my life?’ “But surely the King of France would have listened to reason,” suggested Raoul, surprised at his own bold- ness. “The king, perhaps. But not the queen-mother. She is the head of France at present, and, believe me, one does not argue with success. I have done what I considered for the best, and for the future welfare of Gomicbooks (€(©)