A Gentleman from Gascony: A Romance of the Huguenots — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

SHADOWS BEFORE. 25 “He sleeps,” said the girl, with a wave of her shapely brown hand toward the van. “Then he has slept long enough. Awake him, Is- mael.” “Ohé, friend, ohé!” cried the one addressed as Is- mael. “Wakeup! Wake up!” and seizing a paddeca stick, he struck a vigorous blow upon the gong which hung by the side of the van. At the reverberation, which was fit to wake the dead, the crowd came hurrying back, fancying some enter- tainment to be in store for them. “Come, Paul, come!” said De Vrissac, catching the duke by the arm. “ We’ve had enough of this.” “One moment,” pleaded De Bassompierre, whose | eyes were fixed upon the gypsy girl, Mirza, with a light in them not pleasant to contemplate. “Come, come, I say, come,” insisted the vicomte. “One bottle at the Rising Sun and then for Paris!” In spite of himself the duke was compelled to yield, and, forcing their way through the crowd, who, im- pressed by their dress and bearing, gave way respect- fully before them, the two friends entered the cabaret. scarcely had they disappeared within the hospitable portals than the canvas which hung loosely over the door of the van was lifted and a young man stepped ou into view. A strange figure he presented as he stood at the top of the steps, a little dazzled by the sudden glare of sun- shine. Shreds of straw ornamented his reddish-brown hair dishevelled by sleep, and the feathers of his faded hat hung bedraggled over his tattered pourpoint. More- over, he was plastered with mud, and his clothes, shabby enough at the best, were ina woeful plight. He was buckling about his waist a sword, the hilt and scabbard (CO) Gomicbooks