A Gentleman from Gascony: A Romance of the Huguenots — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

66 | A GENTLEMAN FROM GASCONY. than an hour, the king, wrought to a still more violent state of agitation, yet hesitated, when the queen-mother, fearing lest, if there were further delay, all would be discovered, exclaimed in a burst of fury, partially real, partially, for a purpose, assumed: “Since you forsake your duty, permit me, sire, to retire to some other part of the kingdom!” Goaded to desperation, and thoroughly alarmed at this threat, for he was as dependent as a child upon his mother, Charles leaped from his chair and clutched at the order which lay upon a table near at hand. “By God’s death!” he shrieked hoarsely,“ since you think proper to kill the admiral, I consent! But all the Huguenots in Paris as well, in order that there remain not one to reproach me afterward!” And with a fever- ish hand he signed the fatal document. “Give your orders at once!” Uttering an exultant cry, young Guise seized the paper and, with scant ceremony, dashed out of the room. No sooner had he disappeared than the king began to rave and tear his haiv like a madman. But it was too late now. The fate oi Admiral Coligny and of thou- sands of others with him was already sealed. Save to the chosen few, all this was as yet unknown in Paris, and no one was mete ignorant of the approach- ing nights and days of terror than Raoul de Puycadére, as on his audacious mission he with difficulty threaded his way amidst the multitude in front of the Louvre. At last he managed to reach the entrance, where he was challenged by a guard who wore the uniform of the king’s musketeers. “I am the ambassador from Gascony,” said Raoul boldly. The guard gave him a look of scrutiny, and then, im- Comichbooks co im