Paul Féval

France, 17th century, during the reign of Louis XIII. When a dear friend, the Duke of Nevers, is treacherously assassinated by a powerful relative, a skilled swordsman, the noble Henri de Lagardère, seeks his rightful vengeance as he tries to protect the innocent life of the duke's last heir.

France, 17th century, during the reign of Louis XIII. When a dear friend, the Duke of Nevers, is treacherously assassinated by a powerful relative, a skilled swordsman, the noble Henri de Lagardère, seeks his rightful vengeance as he tries to protect the innocent life of the duke's last heir.

In the 18th century, the peasants of the forest of Rennes were oppressed by the Regent in the name of taxation. Their lord, the Marquis de Trémi, goes to Paris to denounce these abuses.

Duke Philippe de Nevers is an influential and popular man who is married to a beautiful wife called Aurore. His rival Philippe de Gonzague hates him enough to organise an attempt on him. The Duke is accompagnied by Henri de Lagardère when de Gonzague's henchmen altogether attack him. Lagardère cannot save his friend because the both of them are hopelessly outnumbered. He has to escape in order to save the Duke's daughter and swears revenge. Together with his old buddy Passepoil he raises the little girl in Spain. At the same time he returns frequently to France where he detects confronts his friend's murderers and puts them to the sword one by one until only their former leader is left. Finally he discovers that Philippe de Gonzague is the man for whom he is looking.

20 years after the assassination of his father, the son of Lagardère seeks revenge.

The knight Henri de Lagardère wants to avenge the death of his friend, the duke Philippe de Nevers assassinated by the prince de Gonzague, a few years before.

Lagardère protects Aurore, the granddaughter of the Duke of Nevers whose deceitful Philippe de Gonzague covets the inheritance.

The Prince of Gonzague kills the Duke of Nevers and tries to marry his widow, Aurore de Nevers, so he can get his hand on his fortune. The Chevalier Lagardère takes the child Irène de Nevers with him to Spain only to return disguised as a hunchback years later to unmask the Prince for the villain he is.