pronounced over a tomb.

On the eve of my departure from Rennes, some friends invited me to join a
hunting-party, of which I learned that Ganguernet was to make one. This
name took from me in advance half the pleasure I had anticipated. I
however repaired early in the morning to the house of one of our friends,
Ernest de B----. On my arrival I found Ganguernet there with some others
of the party. Ernest had just finished a letter, which he sealed,
directed, and placed upon the chimney-piece. Ganguernet, in his usual
inquisitive and impertinent manner, took it up, and read the direction.
'Ah ha!' said he; 'so you correspond with your pretty cousin, do you?'

'Yes,' said Ernest, with an air of indifference; 'I have informed her that
we intend visiting her chateau this evening, at about seven o'clock, to
take dinner there. There are fifteen of us I think, and we shall run some
risk of having but poor fare, if she does not get timely notice.'

Ernest rang for a servant, and gave him the letter, without any of us
noticing that Ganguernet disappeared for a moment with him. We set off on
our expedition. While engaged in the chase, it so happened that Ganguernet
and myself took one side of the plain on which we were hunting, while the
rest of the party pursued their sport on the other.

'We shall have some fun this evening,' said he to me.

'How so?' replied I.

'Would you believe it? I have given a louis to the servant that he should
not carry the letter to its address.'

'And have you taken it?'

'No, pardieu! I told him we were going to have a little joke this evening,
and that he must carry the letter to the lady's husband. He is sitting
this moment as president of the court of assizes, and when he finds that
he is going to have fifteen stout fellows, with keen appetites, at his
house this evening, he will be in a devil of a rage. He is as miserly as
Harpagon; and the idea of our laying his kitchen and wine-cellar under
contribution will put him in such a humor, that he will have no scruple in
condemning a dozen innocent men, so that he may reach his country-house in
time to prevent the pillage.'

'If this is the case,' said I to Ganguernet, 'it seems to me to be a very
malicious jest.'

'Bah! a capital joke! And the best of it will be when we all arrive at the
chateau. The others, ravenous with hunger and thirst, will expect to find
there an excellent supper. But there will be nothing--absolutely nothing!'

'An