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HE Duke carried away from Malincourt a heart bitter with jealousy and black with anger, and he vented his passion upon de Proballe, whom he chose to regard as the cause of all the trouble.

"You have betrayed my confidence shamefully. You have doubtless your own ends to gain, as that letter hinted; but they will cost you dear, whatever they are, monsieur."

"Betrayed you? How?" asked de Proballe, exceedingly uneasy as he thought his ulterior plans might be suspected. "What have I done other than as we agreed?"

"Did we agree that this scoundrel was so to arrange the manner of his coming as to impress your niece in this way? Was he to flaunt himself as a man of spirit and courage and impose thus on a young, impressionable, high-minded girl?"

"Did I order the manner of his coming? You wrong me entirely. His secret coming was as much a surprise to me as an offence to you; and that he was able to make this impression on Gabrielle was not my doing but the blundering of your own men. Your soldiers first in the market place; your followers, de Cavannes and d'Estelle, afterwards in their attack upon Denys in Gabrielle's very presence when Gerard was at hand."

"Would God they had killed him!" exclaimed the Duke brutally. "But after the affair in the market place you should have told me."