the lady; it is supposed at first that she is jesting, but
her emotion is too serious to have been causeless. She saw, distinctly
saw, not exactly a savage, perhaps, but a man in rags, whose tattered
blouse seemed covered with blood, whose face, hands, and whole person were
repulsively filthy, whose beard was frightful, and whose eyes half
protruded from their sockets; in short, an individual, by the side of whom
the most atrocious of Salvator Rosa's brigands would be as one of
Watteau's shepherds. Never did a man's vanity enjoy such a treat! This
charming person added that I had threatened her, and that I had jumped at
her horse's bridle like the specter of the forest of Mans.[A]

The response to this marvelous story is a general and enthusiastic shout:

"Let us chase him! let us surround him! let us track him! hip, hip,
hurrah!"--whereupon the whole cavalry force starts off at a gallop in the
direction given by the amiable story teller.

I had, to all appearances, but to remain quietly ensconced in my
hiding-place in order to completely foil the hunters who were going in
search of me in the avenue where I had met the beautiful Amazon.
Unfortunately, I had the unlucky idea, for greater safety, of making my
way into the opposite thicket. As I was cautiously crossing the open
space, a wild shout of joy informs me that I have been discovered; at the
same time, I see the whole squadron wheeling about and coming down upon me
like a torrent. There remained but one reasonable course for me to pursue;
it was to stop, to affect the surprise of a quiet stroller disturbed in
his walk, and to disconcert my assailants by an attitude at once simple
and dignified; but, seized with a foolish shame which it is easier to
conceive than to explain--convinced, moreover, that a vigorous effort
would be sufficient to rid me of this importunate pursuit and to spare me
the annoyance of an explanation--I commit the error--the ever deplorable
error--of hurrying on faster, or rather, to be frank with you, of running
away as fast as my legs would carry me. I cross the road like a hare, I
penetrate into the thicket, greeted on my passage with a volley of joyous
clamors. From that moment my fate was sealed; all honorable explanation
became impossible for me; I had ostensibly accepted the struggle with its
most extreme chances.

However, I still possessed a certain presence of mind, and while tearing
furiously through the brambles, I soothed myself