sudden return! A trifle, a silly nightmare which for two successive nights
caused you to hear the sound of my voice calling on you for help! Ah!
bitter fruits of the wretched German cuisine! Really, Paul, you are
foolish! And yet, you tell me things that move me to tears. I cannot
answer you as I would like to. My heart is tender, but my speech is dry.
I have never been able to tell any one, "I love you!" There is a jealous
fiend who checks on my lips every word of affection, and imparts to it a
tone of irony. But, thank God, you know me!

It seems that I make you laugh while you make me weep! Well, I am glad of
it. Yes, my noble adventure in the forest has had a sequel, and a sequel
with which I might very well have dispensed. All the misfortunes which
you felt were threatening me have actually happened to me; rest easy,
therefore.

The day following this fatal day, I began by re-conquering the esteem
of my hosts at the mill, by relating to them good-naturedly the most
piquant episodes of my famous race. I saw them beaming as they heard the
narrative; the woman in particular was writhing in atrocious convulsions,
and with formidable stretches of her jaws. I have never seen anything so
hideous, in all my life, as this coarse, cowherd's joy!

As a testimonial of the complete restoration of his sympathy, the miller
asked me if I was fond of hunting, took down from a hook over his
mantelpiece a long, rusty tube, that made me think of Leather Stocking's
rifle, and laid it into my hands, while boasting of the murderous
qualities of that instrument. I acknowledged his kindness with an outward
appearance of lively satisfaction, never having had the heart to undeceive
people who think they are doing something to please me, and I started for
the woods that cover the hill-sides, carrying like a lance that venerable
weapon, which seemed indeed to me of the most dangerous kind. I went to
take a seat on the heather, and I carefully laid down the long gun by me;
then I amused myself driving away, by throwing stones at them, the young
rabbits that ventured imprudently in the vicinity of an engine of war for
the effects of which I could not be responsible. Thanks to these
precautions, for over an hour that this hunt lasted, no accident happened
either to the game or to myself.

To speak candidly, I was rather glad to allow the hour to pass when the
hunting-party from the chateau are in the habit of taking the field, not
caring very