A Gentleman from Gascony: A Romance of the Huguenots — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

fo A GENTLEMAN FROM GASCONY. ambassadors to congratulate the king and queen of Navarre upon their union.” “ And Gascony of course among them,” observed the chevalier, idly. “ Alas, no!” “What, no! Gascony not represented! How comes that?” 5 “ Monsieur Altemarre was selected to offer our con- gratulations, but scarcely had he arrived in Paris when he was stricken with a fever, and lies now at death’s door.” “ And there is no one to take his place?” “No one.” | Amid the chorus of regrets at the untoward circtm- stance, Raoul was silent. An idea had entered his head, an idea so daring that his pulses almost stopped throbbing at the very contemplation of it. The revelry, mingled with the sweet Gascon songs, continued for some time longer, but finally the minstrels were forced to take leave of their host and continue their journey. “Take my embraces to our dear country,” said Raoul, as he bade farewell to them, “and tell her that I shall see her soon again perhaps, and that, at all events, I will try not to end like the Gascon of the ballad, with a rapier through my breast. Adieu, com- rades, adieu! and may the God of our fathers have ye in his keeping!” After the departure of the minstrels, the chevalier fell into a deep train of thought, from which he was aroused by Madame Rose, saying in a tone of sympathy: “Your compatriots have deprived you of your spirits, chevalier You are regretting the South.” “No, madame, it is not that. But it makes me sick at heart to think that on the morrow one of Navarre’s Comicbooks co ol