D'Artagnan, the King Maker — page 310: what you’re looking at

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

ke CHAPTER XXXVIII. THE LAST CARD. “How is this brought about?” cried the elder soldier, snuffling to hide emotion. “You leave me going to the scuffle with Count Don Jorge, intimating that you wanted an interview with his sister first. The next I hear of you is from one of those iniquit—I mean, ubiquitous, is it not '—Brothers of the Coast! He had seen you, capar- isoned as a prince, in this same sumptuous silk, satin and velvet, with feathers culled from the birds of Para- dise. You were borne away, merrily enough, by a squad of citizen soldiers. The next I heard was that this cap- tured exaliissimo was in the power of the Spanish, treated like a king! this king of ours! I do not say that you do not resemble Don Juan, but it will be carrying the likeness too far if you put your dear head under the ax >) “An ass is always an ass, notwithstanding the har- ness!” sighed the captive. “I sometimes doubt that I shall ever be wise again while I am in love!” “Does the donna want a prince? What do you gain by masquerading?” “T gain what men would pay diamond weight for— time. Thanks to my being in custody—gquod, as the Arabs say—our lord must have had time to ascend his throne.” “T believe they are crowning him on the grand plaza by this.” ‘Have they removed the archbishop’s scruples “Or Captain Pedro would have removed his head.” “Then you see how right I was to put on his garb—or how right Donna Jacinta was.’ “Oh! if it is at her hint, then I have not one word to say. Still, Madame du Vallon will not forgive your pretty plotter if, when the blind worms discover the error and my own cheat, I fall immolated ” “Tt looks so, unless my friend in the camp——”’ 9) CORNICE OOO KS (E(@)