[Gettersaga]

Nagoyankee, I've given a look at the sentences after this (the Kobutori's story starts again) and I've understood it but this sentence I really can't understand. could you help me, please?

このへんで、日本百科事典でも、ちょっと覗いてみると 、私もたちまち老幼婦女子の尊敬の的たる博学の士に一 変して、（世の物識りというものは、たいていそんなも のである）しさいらしい顔をして、鬼について縷縷千万 言を開陳できるのでもあろうが、

I had understood the previous sentences and after 開陳できるのでもあろうが is repeated a sentence that appeared at the beginning so I know what is written in it. But this part, particularly 私もたちまち老幼婦女子の尊敬の的たる博学の士に一変 して, I can't understand. I've tried but I don't understand it, even because words such as 老幼婦女子 or expressions as 士に一変して, well the truth is that I've not found them in the dictionary.