A Gentleman from Gascony: A Romance of the Huguenots — page 77: what you’re looking at

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

A DANGEROUS GAME. 93 For an instant the count hesitated, and then impressed — by the young man’s lordly air, he concluded it wisest to yield and answered briefly: “Follow me!” Immediately after his conductor, who proceeded with slow and stately step, Raoul threaded the mazes of the brilliantly attired throng, until he found himself at the foot of a dais, and realized that he was before the royal couple, and, like a desperate gambler, prepared him- self for the cast of the die, which was to make him or mar him beyond repair. At this time, Henri of Navarre, afterward the pride and glory of all France, whose very name was destined to be a watchword through succeeding generations, was barely twenty—a young man with a keen eye, black hair cut very close, thick eyebrows, a nose curved like an eagle’s, and a growing mustache and beard. His bride, Marguerite de Valois, or, as she was more familiarly known, Queen Margot, was “the pearl of the crown of France,” and, indeed, in beauty and accom- plishments there were few in that court of lovely and brilliant women whocould vie with her. She had raven hair and a brilliant complexion, red lips, a grace- ful neck, and a somewhat full but still exquisite figure. To look at her was enough to silence the scandalous rumors, rife at court, that the young husband was not too desperately in love with his beautiful bride, however much credit might be given to that other rumor that the consent of the lovely princess had been given only after long resistance on her part. Indeed there were those who stated, and with authority, that at the nup- tial ceremony, when asked if she consented, Marguerite appeared to hesitate for a moment; but her brother the Gomicbooks (E(@)