A Gentleman from Gascony: A Romance of the Huguenots — page 45: what you’re looking at

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

THE WHITE BADGE. 4I it would probably prove the last, that Eros had inflicted -a serious wound upon the heart of Raoul de Puycadére. There and then the chevalier registered a vow that no matter what obstacles might interpose, he would meet again the lovely maid of honor, woo her, win her if he could. » The Hotel de Bassompierre was a magnificent struc- ture, situated on the quay, nearly opposite the Louvre and rivalling in its splendor even that historic palace itself. It formed but one of the many possessions of the Bassompierres, one of the oldest, proudest, and wealthiest families in France. This famous family, which boasted many representa- tives, now dead and gone, who had distinguished them- selves in church, council and upon the battle-field, was now limited to but two members,—the young Duke de Bassompierre, of whom we have caught a passing glimpse at Saint Germain, and his mother, the duchess. The Duchess de Bassompierre, a woman of indomi- table pride and a keen sense of honor which even Bay- ard, the knight sans peur et sans reproche, might have envied, had been possessed of remarkable beauty in her youth, and even now at the age of fifty, with her stately figure, her snow-white hair, and her brilliant dark eyes, there were few of the young beauties of the court who could dispute the palm with her. And yet the duchess was far from a happy woman. Bound up, heart and soul, in her only son, living solely for him and in him, her heart was rent in twain by the young man’s ever-increasing tendency toward folly and dissipation. Handsome though he was, witty, affection- ate, and even honorable in a way, he was weak, undeni- ably, deplorably weak; and the sparkle of the wine-cup Eomicboo S Eo