What! Had the vaurien hound _dared_ shelter under his roof? _dared_ to tell his lying tale to them?
The young Count paced the hall to and fro in his anger.
He would have forgotten that Morice Conyers was Gabrielle's brother had he met him at that moment.
It ended by Cécile suddenly bursting into a tempest of tears, and running out of the room. This had been the last straw to an overfull cup.
Mother and son looked at each other for a full minute, and then Madame de Quernais held out trembling hands.
"Do nothing rash," she faltered. "Remember he is my sister's son."
Had he been less a gentleman Jéhan would have thundered out an oath and ridden forth, hot-haste, in search of his enemy. As it was, a higher instinct prevailed. He bowed, with old-fashioned formality, over his mother's hand, though his lips were livid and his eyes ablaze.
"I will remember, Madame," he replied, and dared not trust himself to say more.
A sleepless night for those at Kérnak, and now, with morning, Count Jéhan had ridden over to Varenac.
But still Monsieur le Marquis was absent. It was inexplicable.
Was the fellow such a coward that he trumped up this excuse not to see him?
De Quernais felt his fingers itching at his sword-hilt; though what use to storm when one's foe is absent?
And if Morice were not here Gabrielle was. The door opened suddenly on the Count's meditations, and she stood there on the threshold.
"Oh, Jéhan!" she cried, running to him eagerly, "I am so glad you have come, so glad."
And, at sight of her fair face, the young noble felt his bitterness vanish as the grey shadows must before the sunshine.
How he had learnt to love her, this brave little cousin, who was Breton to her finger-tips!
When the emotions are stirred in a hot, impetuous nature it is a quick leap from love to hate.
Yet he did not blind himself with the belief that love here was returned.
He had seen the light grow in hazel eyes on a day when Michael Berrington appeared suddenly in the morning-room at Langton Hall.
Since then he had known that Cousin Jéhan meant brother Jéhan to Gabrielle. And, being a man of honour as well as Breton noble, he accepted Fate's decree without murmur or strife. But it could not kill love, since that was of immortal birth, and so he hid his eyes from hers, lingering, as he bent over her hand, till he should regain the mastery over himself which he had been in danger of losing.