ishaps. She was there, boldly
seated on her horse, her chin raised, her eyes half closed, examining me
from head to foot with admirable insolence. I had thought it best at
first, out of respect for her sex, to abandon myself without resistance to
her impertinent curiosity; but after a few seconds, as she manifested no
intention of putting an end to her proceedings, I lost patience, and
raising my head more openly, I fixed my eyes upon her with polite gravity,
but persistent steadiness. She blushed; seeing which, I bowed. She
returned me a slight inclination of the head, and moving off at a canter,
she disappeared under the vault of the old church. I thus remained master
of the field, keenly relishing the triumph of fascination I had just
obtained over that little person, whom there certainly was considerable
merit in putting out of countenance.

The ride through the forest lasted some twenty minutes, and I soon beheld
the brilliant fantasia debouching pell-mell from the portal. I feigned
again a profound abstraction; but this time again, one of the riders left
the company and advanced toward me; he was a man of tall stature, who wore
a blue frock-coat, buttoned up to his chin, in military style. He was
marching so straight upon my little establishment, that I could not help
supposing he intended passing right over it for the amusement of the
ladies. I was therefore watching him with a furtive but wide-awake glance,
when I had the satisfaction of seeing him stop within three steps of my
camp-stool, and removing his hat.

"Monsieur," he said, in a full and frank tone of voice, "will you permit
me to look at your drawing?"

I returned his salutation, nodded in token of acquiescence, and went on
with my work. After a moment of silent contemplation, the unknown
equestrian, apparently yielding to the violence of his impressions,
allowed a few laudatory epithets to escape him; then, resuming his direct
allocution:

"Monsieur," he said, "allow me to return thanks to your talent; we shall
be indebted to it, I feel quite sure, for the preservation of these ruins,
which are the ornament of our district."

I abandoned at once my reserve, which could no longer be anything but
childish sulkiness, and I replied, as I thought I should, that he was
appreciating with too much indulgence a mere amateur's sketch; that I
certainly had the greatest desire of saving these beautiful ruins, but
that the most important part of my work threa