A Gentleman from Gascony: A Romance of the Huguenots — page 32: what you’re looking at

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

28 A GENTLEMAN FROM GASCONY. vantage of the unconsciousness caused by my loss of blood, to despoil me of the raiment proper to my rank and attire me—attire, Heaven save the mark!—in these sordid rags! My good friends can attest the truth of my words, if,” fiercely, “there be perchance any one here who dares to doubt it!” Apparently no one cared to take up the challenge, and after a moment’s pause Raoul continued, growing more and more audacious in his statements and thor- oughly enjoying the ingenuous wonder of his auditors: “Learn that you have before you the Chevalier Raoul de Puycadére, who is gentleman enough that the king calls him his cousin—ahem! afterdrinking. The Cheyv- alier de Puycadére, I say, with a magnificent chateau, donjons, drawbridges, moats, and towers, and a hundred vassals who fly to obey his word of command. I have come to Paris to take possession of an enormous estate to which I have fallen heir, and to salute the admiral, for I am a Huguenot.” How long this diatribe, with its strange mixture of fact and fancy, would have continued is only a matter of conjecture, for at this moment a commotion arose at the other side of the square, being caused by the arrival of a mountebank with a couple of dancing bears, and in a trice Raoul found himself deserted by his fickle auditors, eager for a new sensation. Even the gypsies followed in the wake, anxious to discover the attractions of the rival fakirs. Left to himself, Raoul laughed and then sighed. Already he was a little ashamed of the spirit of mis- chief which had led him to deliver such an oration in public. Suddenly he thrust his hand into the bosom of his doublet and as quickly withdrew it with a cry of rage. Comicbhoo S (E(@) im <2)