The American Marquis by Nick Carter — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

4 | ARGS, Vor ‘ THE as MARQUIS. 49 “What would I ask for? Ask yourself, Got-a tongue, | ain’t yer” And the huckster hurried off, apparently anxious to escape any more talk with the fierce Italian. ‘¢ Vengeance!” whispered the pe. , ‘“‘Sold!” exclaimed the huckster. ‘* You'll do!” Henri Roche, or Jean Lenoir, as he now called himself, having given Dan Hartley a sample of his ability, put aside his Italian accent, and assuming that of a southern French- man, walked into a little French eating-house and called for ‘a bottle of wine. The eating-house was, in fact, the rendezvous of the par- ticular gang of desperadoes to which Robert Caradoc, or Frenchy, belonged. That is, Frenchy consorted with his,outcast countrymen there, but he did not do business with them. Most. of them were on a different lay from his, and, moreover, he had learned caution by experience at home, and kept away, when he was not working, from his business associates. He and some of his friends were playing vingt-et-un at a table at the farther end of the room. They were not so fully engaged, however, that they did — not see the new-comer, and note his jewelry. They also noted his style, and they were satisfied that he was not their game. When Jean had finished as much of the wine as he sie | drink, he walked ever to the table and looked on at the game, taking such a position as would enable him to get a good look at Caradoc. | ‘* Take a hand?’ inquired that worthy, in choice French slang, or ‘‘argot,” as it is called in Paris, ‘“T don’t care if I. do,” replied Jean, in the same dialect. ‘*T like to play with friends.” “What lay are you on?” quietly inquired one of the men. ‘Sma genie well known in Paris. The weather is warm there just now, and I left for my health.” A coarse laugh greeted this sally, and the game went on, until one of the men who was losing became angry, and thinking the new-comer a good subject for his ill- -temper, “opened on him, and accused him of cheating. © You’re a liar,” said Jean, coolly... comilcbooks:co