A Gentleman from Gascony: A Romance of the Huguenots — page 141: what you’re looking at

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

MADAME LA DUCHESSE DE BASSOMPIERRE. 137 * Add, and the lover of Mademoiselle de Vrissac,” sneered the vicomte. “That and more—the man I love, the man to whom [ have plighted my troth!” These bold words brought consternation to the duch- ess and a murderous rage to the vicomte. For a mo- ment he felt as if he could strike the girl dead at his feet. Before he could find his tongue, the duchess spoke: “Child! child!” she said, half indignantly, half sor- rowfully. “Is it possible that you love thisman? A Huguenot? An enemy to our faith? A rebel to the king!” “Surely you forget, madame,” replied Gabrielle proudly, “that my father was of the reformed church, and his union with my mother, your sister, a Catholic, was ahappy one. Nor is the Chevalier de Puycadére a rebel, when he wears the cahets of the King of Na- varre, whose subject alone he is.’ Little as she witted of it, Mademoiselle de Vrissac had in these words struck a responsive chord in her aunt’s breast. Although her life with the late duke had been a thoroughly happy one and she had had both respect and a warm affection for her husband, the duch- ess had never forgotten the gallant young Huguenot who had touched so deeply her maiden heart, nor the agony she had suffered in silence when she found her sister preferred to herself, But the effect upon the Vicomte de Vrissac was some- thing totally different. Gabrielle’s speech inflamed his jealous rage into something akin to madness. “We shall see!” he hissed between his clenched teeth. “You are not your own mistress, mademoiselle. And your experience at court, if the Prince of Béarn’s Conmmicloooks (co in