A Gentleman from Gascony: A Romance of the Huguenots — page 60: what you’re looking at

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

56 A GENTLEMAN FROM GASGONY. “ He makes one do whatever he wants!” Then turning - tothe shrinking Tzigana, she asked again, butin a much milder tone than she had employed before: “Well, what do you want?” 3 “ Two months—three months ago—when we were here before,” began Mirza, trembling betwixt hope and fear, “T left with you my pretty blue gown and my lace fichu. The sergeant lent me four livres on them, and i “Well?” “Well, there is a ball this evening in the theatre, and —and my sweetheart—you know, Pharos, to whom I am to be married the day of the New Year—wants to take me there, and—and—you understand? I could not dance in my everyday dress.” “ And then?” demanded Madame Goujon. “Then?” stammered poor Mirza, coloring in confu- sion, “ why—why " “Then, my dear Madame Goujon,” interposed Raoul, with a smile which showed his white teeth, “here is the affair in two words: This young woman, not hav- ing the money necessary to release the famous blue gown, begs you to lend it to her upon her word, and promises to bring it back to you to-morrow, only warn- ing you in advance if it is a trifle rumpled, it is not exactly she you must blame; but the arm of her lover.” “Oh! how well monsieur speaks!” exclaimed Mirza, admiringly, forgetting for the moment her timidity. But Rose was not inclined to yield. “ But it is impossible!” she cried, raising hér hands at the audacity of the proposal. “Without money, seigneur! What would my husband say?” | “Oh! it seems that your husband is avaricious,” said Raoul, determined to gain the point for the Tzigana, who, with her companions, had been the means of suc- - GComicbooks (E(@)